Discovery of Fission
In late 1938, German chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman, collaborating remotely with physicist Lise Meitner, uncovered a groundbreaking truth—uranium atoms could be split. By bombarding uranium with neutrons, they observed the formation of barium, proving that the nucleus had been divided. Meitner and her nephew Otto Frisch soon explained the process and its immense energy release.
A Race Against Time
feared Nazi Germany might develop a nuclear weapon. In August 1939, they sent a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt, urging the U.S. to invest in nuclear research. This warning led to the formation of a research team at the University of Chicago, headed by Enrico Fermi and Arthur Compton.
The First Controlled Reaction
On December 2, 1942, in a makeshift laboratory beneath the University of Chicago’s Stagg Field, the team built the first nuclear reactor, CP-1. Using graphite and uranium, they achieved the first self-sustained nuclear chain reaction, marking the beginning of nuclear power.
A Lasting Impact
The experiment paved the way for nuclear energy and weaponry. In 1945, atomic bombs were used in warfare, while post-war efforts focused on civilian applications, from power plants to medical advancements. The experiment’s site is now marked by Henry Moore’s sculpture, “Nuclear Energy.”
83 years ago, beneath a Chicago football field, scientists triggered the first nuclear chain reaction, launching the Atomic Age. What began as an experiment led to nuclear weapons, power plants, and medical advances, changing the world forever.🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/bwUcsJeL6t
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) January 29, 2025