Jenn P's Reflection: WWII: The Invention of The Atomic Bomb

World War II (WWII) was a gruesome war that ended the lives of millions throughout the world.

Nevertheless, WWII provided a platform for math and science to take leaps forward and allowed for the invention of technologies and concepts that we still use today. Inventions included:

The V-1 “Buzz Bomb” (Cruise Missile invented by the Germans)

Electronic computers for breaking Nazi code and calculating ballistics

Trajectory calculators

And radar (used to eliminate surprise attacks and for meteorologist to predict weather patterns)

New uses for old materials including turning tanks into airplanes, silverware into surgical instruments, and so much scotch tape was used for war efforts that 3M created an advertisement apologizing to homemakers.

Finally, we are all at least familiar with the creation of The Atomic Bomb, two of which were used to end the war in August of 1945.

The United States pioneered the creation of the Atomic bomb by gathering thousands of scientists, engineers, and subsequently creating several industrial manufacturing plants. In Oak Ridge, TN., people worked on separating out uranium for the bomb, while in Hanford, WA., the new element called “plutonium” was created.

There were two different types of weapons built so that American Scientists could double their odds of getting one right. Luckily or maybe not so lucky, both of these newly created Atomic Bombs worked as intended and were dropped on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan.

Now, let us take a step back, way back and into the year, 1945. On May 8,1945, celebrations were contagious all throughout Europe, because in Europe the war was finally over. This day is known as Victory in Europe or V-E day.

However, the war still raged on in the Pacific and back in American, President Harry S. Truman was considering an invasion of the Japanese home islands.

On August 6, 1945, President Truman gave the order to drop the newly developed Atomic Bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. In just a single moment, 130,000 people were killed. Three days after Hiroshima a second Bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing another 75,000 people.

On August 14, 1945, with Japan battling forces and armies that would be difficult to overcome, the Japanese government accepted defeat. On this day, the American people waited in anticipation for the formal announcement.

The New York Times serviced their revolving news sign, keeping it up to date during the wait – crowds gathered by the thousands. In Times Square, crowds continued to grow to over 2 million people. At 7:03pm President Truman officially announced the Japanese surrender. All over America, people celebrated the end of suffering, death, and the return of loved ones.

The end of the war was here at last. August 15, 1945 is what we call V-J (Victory over Japan) day and is a day that will remain memorable and significant throughout history.

Without the efforts of mathematicians, engineers, and scientists, this war may have had a different outcome. So while we remember the mind-blowing inventions and re-use of materials that emerged from WWII, let us also remember the importance of math and science in our world today.

While the creation of the Atomic Bomb is controversial, it plays a role in both world and American history that cannot be forgotten.