The New World

The new world

There were key points to the chapter on the new world. The chapter was mainly about the politics created by the testing and use of nuclear weapons.

Key points:

1. "Science had become politically interesting and scientist had become interested in politics."

2. The government wanted total control of the further development of nuclear weapons.

3. The May-Johnson bill was created to help aid the government in having majority control over the nuclear weapons development.

4. Scientist created committees such as the Atomic Scientist of Chicago, the Association of Oak Ridge, and later the Federation of Atomic Scientist, and then the Federation of American Scientist. The also created The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist, which raised questions of political issues as they related to science.

5. Scientist totally disagreed with the May-Johnson bill. They spoke out, saying that they believed that the bill would hinder research with is provisions. (pg 65) They even went one step further and started lobbying to make legislators see their points.

6. The senate created a Special Committee on Atomic Energy, headed by Brien McMahon. This committee got as much info on the nuclear bomb and it's potential/implications, and created the McMahon bill, which was scrutinized and altered to resemble the May-Johnson bill.

7. There was a debate over the issue of whether private companies or the AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) should own the patents on nuclear energy. The house believed that the senate's version on the bill was a socialist view, with the AEC having patents, but the fear of Canadian spies trying to penetrate the Manhattan Project prevailed and the senates version with the AEC having control of patents prevailed.

8. Though controversial, scientist and the military had a working relationship, in which the military provided the funds and the scientist worked on technology that would be mutually beneficial to themselves as well as the military.

9. The US wanted international control of nuclear weapons programs. This led to the creation of the UNAEC. Many diplomats believed that there should be a "sharing" of information in nuclear weapons development. Senator Bernard Baruch believed that the US shouldn't give up their monopoly without setting up a legislative system which punishes those who abuse the information shared among the nations in the AEC.

10. There was to be a public testing of the nuclear bomb on a private island during the negotiation of nuclear weapons control. Many US scientist and senators, as well