History Timeline and The Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project

               Starting as a research and development project, the US army began the Manhattan Project and produced the first atomic bombs during World War II. This began as a small mission in 1939 but soon became a much larger creation with a budget of two million dollars and over 130,000 people working on it by 1945. With less than 10% of this two million dollar budget being used for development and production of the weapons, over 90% of the cost was for building factories and producing the fissile materials. Several things were produced in these factories including the final product of two types of atomic bombs. The first was made up of an isotope of only 0.7 natural uranium, uranium-235. Plutonium was among other products that were constructed during this time.

                After years of research and production of these products, the first nuclear bomb was detonated at the Trinity test. This was a major milestone in nuclear weaponry in the United States. The Manhattan Project conducted several other weapons testing, resulting in development of other major weapons used in the military today. Not only did this project promote further development across the nation but it also laid down the foundations for the nuclear navy. It remained the major contender for atomic weapons research and production until 1947 when the United States Atomic Energy Commission was formed.

Iceland's Issue of Sustainability

Iceland's Seabird Colonies Are Vanishing, With "Massive" Chick Deaths

Climate and ocean changes blamed for huge losses of puffins, kittiwakes, and terns.

            Where there used to be thousands of birds nesting and mating off this island of Iceland, there is now no birds to be seen. Nests are empty and the sounds of puffins are now non-existent. Colonies of eggs have been found abandoned in nests, untouched and yet to have hatched. What is causing this breeding failure of so many Atlantic seabirds? Scientists suspect many influences such as change in climate, their chemistry, their food webs, and their loads of pollutants. The main focus at the moment is the ocean temperature warming in the Atlantic. This is causing a whole load of issues for seabirds whose prey are being driven away due to earlier thaws. The warming oceans are also resulting in dangerous unseasonal storms and causing the tight breeding schedules of the seabirds to be thrown off track.

            Scientists have found that the largest Atlantic puffin colony on the Westman Islands have been a “total failure” in their breeding habits since 2005. In a place where puffins are a national mascot and a legally hunted delicacy, this poses a huge issue for conservation of the species. While the entire puffin population has not yet collapsed, it appears to be only a matter of time before this stretch of breeding failure creates a long lasting impact on the species. The research has been done by scientists and made public by journalist so all that is left is to put this issue into the hands of government officials to make this issue one of their top priorities. If not, the puffin population that once covered the coast of Iceland will only be seen in pictures.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140827-seabird-puffin-tern-iceland-ocean-climate-change-science-winged-warning/