Description
H.Becquerel found uranium emitted radiation and, in1898, M.Curie extracted minute traces of radium from ore. J.Maxwell predicted electro-magnetic radiation in 1855 and Einstein formulated special relativity; mass could be converted into energy. In 1905, E.Rutherford found radon gas emitted helium nuclei. In 1919, F.Aston identified 212 naturally occurring isotopes. But why was the atomic weight of helium exactly 4.000 and not 4.032? In 1925, Rutherford transmuted nitrogen into an isotope of oxygen. By 1934, J.Chadwick had found neutrons emitted by polonium and E.Fermi had transmuted uranium into plutonium. Fermi's research reactor went critical in 1942. The 235-uranium was extracted at Oak Ridge, while plutonium was produced in Washington state and the first atom bomb exploded in New Mexico in 1945. Two more atom bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending the war with Japan. The first practical nuclear power plant was developed for submarines and, by 2021, 442 fission reactors supplied about 10% of the world's electricity. WHO THE HELL ARE WE? is a series of short books and videos describing the evolution of civilization. Almost everyone on the planet is five times wealthier than their ancestors only 50 years ago. This astonishing phenomenon has also improved health, education, and longevity. The cause; an explosive growth in ideas and productivity. It began when we learned to control fire, evolved articulate speech and stumbled onto the way to create infinite wealth; free trade. The discovery of agriculture made us richer but we also learned how to destroy wealth. Great civilization grew up but then disappeared leaving only incredible ruins and ideas. Later books detail some of the ideas and developments that increased the average life span from about 40 years to more than 80 and the average world income from less than $3 to more than $33 per person per day (and to $140 per day in some countries).
Prologue
