Hacker Cinema
A Is for Atom
1953 · Film · documentary · 15 min
Directed by Carl Urbano
General Electric sponsors this explanation of atomic energy, detailing some of its uses besides the bomb. Using animation and an off-screen narrator, the film describes the atom, elements and isotopes, the discovery of transmutation, experiments in artificial transmutation, and the reasons for the power of nuclear fission. The film argues that now, besides war, the atomic age holds promise for energy, farming, medicine, and research. The promise of the atomic age will depend on human wisdom.
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4 comments on Hacker News
Yes!!
An article by two engineers critical of RMBK's design had been published long before. In 'Kommunist' no less (the Central Committee's journal).
Source: Adam Curtis documentary 'A is for Atom' (1992)
KGB censorship is not needed, societies rarely listen to what alarmists/cassandras have to say anyway.
Check out the rest of Curtis' documentaries as well.
One eyeopener was part of his Pandora's Box series, A is for Atom, where he looks into the buildup of nuclear reactors on both sides of the cold war.
In particular how said reactors, at least in the US, were basically (massively) scaled up submarine reactors.
Anyone wishing to become more familiar with the murky process which led to the proliferation of the unsafe Boiling Water Reactors such as Fukushima should watch Adam Curtis' film A is for Atom, which details how the US government and General Electric conspired to ignore the warnings from the Atomic Energy Commission about the designs.
He made it available in full on his (excellent) blog in the wake of the earthquake: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/2011/03/a_is_for_atom.html
If those from outside the UK can't watch that one, it's also on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FDrA7yUdFc
Those wary of Curtis and his psychedelic editing tricks should still give it a go - this one is from 1992, before he got so into Boards of Canada and flash cuts.
That notion is covered by Adam Curtis in his "A is For Atom" film. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1860517361048002456#
Western and Soviet engineers that made nuclear power stations happen could not refuse because nuclear was the cultural mania of the day.