Hiroshima and Nagasaki weren’t huge military related cities. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were ports for trading and transporting, but it didn’t matter because the Allies had a naval blockade. Another thing was why would they need such big bombs, the U.S. were doing constant bomb runs in Tokyo. Was this something they wanted to prove to the Russians because of the two countries failing relations? (Freeman).

The Russians were slaughtering the Japanese on mainland because the Japanese had a style of guerilla warfare (Bernstien). The Russians killed 600,000 Manchurian troops the best branch of the Japanese army. The Russians did it in a week, which is more than the U.S. killed in the Pacific theatre and the Russians did it in a week!  The Japanese already lost in the Pacific to the U.S. probably one of the hardest terrains to fight against a guerrilla typed military, but the U.S. won (Nardo). Why couldn’t they do that in the mainland? The U.S. had military power, better trained troops, and more help than the Japanese.

Some people state that the dropping of the bomb would stop the war, but that is not entirely true. Japan was already looking for help to the Russians to make a peace offering to the U.S. for them (Bernstien). The Japanese had no resources, their navy and air force were gone, and no way of getting those resources because they were naval blockaded by the allies. The Japanese already knew they lost the war. Even the U.S. soldiers knew the bombings were unjustified and not necessary (Nardo).

The atomic bombs weren’t necessary to defeat Japan. Japan was already running on a thin line and was on the brink of defeat. The atomic bomb didn’t really do anything besides wipe two cities of the face of the Earth. The war was going to stop in a matter of months. The bomb hurt the U.S. relations with Russia because the U.S. didn’t warn them and most importantly innocent people died for no reason. Just to stop a war and make a point. Two cities were gone in a matter of seconds and too many dead.

            On August 6, 1945, 66,000 people died in Hiroshima, Japan.  Three days later, 74,000 people died in Nagasaki, Japan, totaling 140,000 people dead in Japan in the short time period of just four days.  These tragedies were caused by the use of nuclear bombs.  The ways nuclear weapons are constructed makes them too powerful and have so many effects that they should be controlled more or just not used at all.

            There are two types of nuclear weapons, fission weapons and thermonuclear weapons. Fission weapons were the bombs that were used in Hiroshima, Japan and Nagasaki, Japan.  Fission weapons generate their destructive power through the fission or splitting of atomic nuclei. There are two methods of fission weapons, the gun-type method and the implosion method.

            In the gun-type method, two subcritical pieces of material are placed in a device similar to the barrel of a gun.  “One piece rests at one end of the barrel and the other is some distance from the first piece, with a powerful conventional explosive behind it.” (Kuhn.) The conventional explosive propels the second subcritical mass at high speed into the first. When the two subcritical masses come into contact with each other, an explosion is created.  The United States used a gun-type fission weapon at Hiroshima, Japan.

            In the implosion method, a subcritical mass is made supercritical by compressing it into a smaller volume. The supercritical mass is in the center of the weapon, surrounded by conventional explosives. When the conventional explosives are triggered, they explode and thus encouraging the supercritical mass to also explode. The United States used an implosion fission weapon at Nagasaki, Japan.

Thermonuclear weapons get their power from the fusion or combining of atomic nuclei under intense heat. Thermonuclear weapons are made using hydrogen. These bombs can be made as big as the scientist would want to make it just by using more hydrogen. The biggest thermonuclear bomb made could give third degree burns to a person standing over 60 miles away from the explosion. Thermonuclear weapons have only been used in test and they have not yet been used in times of war.

            The use of nuclear weapons can have many effects. Effects come from the blast wave, Thermal radiation, initial nuclear radiation and residual nuclear radiation. If a nuclear war started between multiple countries, the ultimate effect would be nuclear winter.

            The explosion begins with the formation of a fire ball, a cloud of dust and extremely hot gases under high pressure. After the explosion, gases begin to expand and form a blast wave. The blast wave causes most of the explosion’s damage.

            Thermal radiation consists of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation given off by the fireball. Visible and infrared radiation can cause skin burns called flash burns. Flash burns caused from 20 to 30 percent of deaths at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.

            Initial nuclear radiation occurs within the first minute beginning at the instant of the explosion. It consists of neutrons and gamma rays. Gamma ray radiation is similar to X-ray radiation.

            Residual nuclear radiation is given off later than one minute after the explosion. Fallout is when radioactive particles fall down to Earth after the mushroom cloud. Early fallout reaches Earth within 24 hours of the explosion. Delayed fallout reaches ground from 24 hours to a number of years after the explosion.

The most serious long-term effect of nuclear weapons is nuclear winter. Nuclear winter is the deadly worldwide environmental effects that could result from a major nuclear war. Nuclear winter could begin to develop from city fires created by the extreme heat of nuclear explosions. Large amounts of smoke from these city fires could spread and cover at least half of Earth’s surface. The smoke could prevent most sunlight from reaching the ground. This would make temperatures drop drastically.

            There have been many attempts to control nuclear weapons. Areas where the attempts have been made include deterrence, limiting testing, limiting numbers, and limiting proliferation.

            Deterrence refers to preventing the countries that have nuclear weapons from using them. The offense- based deterrence theory say that the possession of a strong nuclear force by opposing nations best prevents nuclear war. Defense-based deterrence theory says that only an effective defense against a powerful first strike will reliably protect a defender’s ability to counter attack.

            Nations have tried to limit the testing of nuclear weapons to protect people and the environment from nuclear radiation and to slow the development of nuclear weapons. “In the Limited Test Ban Treaty, nations involved agreed not to test nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, in outer space, or underwater.” (Rivera.) The loophole in the treaty was that underground testing was not banned.

            Attempts to limit the number of United States and Soviet nuclear weapons began in 1970. “Russia has the most nuclear warheads with approximately 10,566.” (Nuclear Weapons: Who.)

Research shows that there are five nations known to have nuclear weapons and four nations are believed to have nuclear weapons.

            Limiting proliferation involves preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to nations that do not have them. Recently nations have been trying to prevent Iran from getting nuclear power. “Iran has signaled that it was unwilling to grant a request by international nuclear inspectors for unfettered access to a restricted military complex that they suspect may house a chamber designed to test explosives used in atomic weapons triggers.” (Gladstone.) Iran claims it just wants nuclear power to produce electricity so the nation would not have to use oil to produce electricity. Iran would like to sell the oil to other countries instead of using it to produce electricity.

            The ways nuclear weapons are constructed makes them too powerful and have so many effects that they should be controlled more or just not used at all. Older nuclear bombs have the explosive force of 20 megatons which is more than 1500 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Nuclear weapons are stronger today and could demolish entire countries.  “If we fight a war and win it with H-bombs, what history will remember are not the ideals we were fighting for but the methods we used to accomplish them.” (The Nuclear Weapon Archive.) The world cannot handle more disastrous tragedies like what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.

The United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, contrary to popular belief, in order to demonstrate its use to Soviet Russia. The intent was to intimidate them into being more controllable in European affairs to prevent the spread of communist influence among European nations.

            The Japanese were already on the brink of collapse when the atomic bombs were dropped. Traditional explosives had already wiped out most of their industries, and supplies had been blocked from coming in which made it difficult to continue combat operations with the U.S.[1] Admiral William D. Leahy, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, spoke out against the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, “The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender because of the effective sea blockade and the successful bombing with conventional weapons.”[2] General H.H. Arnold, Commander of the American Army Air Force, concurred, “Accordingly, it always appeared to us that, atomic bomb or no atomic bomb, the Japanese were already on the verge of collapse.”[3] Ralph A. Bard, Undersecretary of the Navy, believed that Japan was looking for a means of surrender. “During recent weeks I have also had the feeling very definitely that the Japanese government may be searching for some opportunity which they could use as a medium of surrender.” [4] The U.S. had ulterior motives behind the bombings, since Japan likely was, for all intents and purposes, already defeated.

            Secretary of State James Byrnes indicated to nuclear physicist Leo Szilard in 1945 that his primary concern was Soviet Russia, not Japan. “At that time Mr. Byrnes was much concerned about the spreading of Russian influence in Europe…. Mr. Byrnes’ concern about Russia I fully shared, but his view that our possessing and demonstrating the bomb would make Russia more manageable in Europe I was not able to share.”[5]

In a meeting of the Target Committee at Los Alamos in May of 1945, the idea of using the atomic bomb to capture Russia’s attention was subtly hinted at. Targets were selected based on the idea of, “making the initial use sufficiently spectacular for the importance of the weapon to be internationally recognized when publicity on it is released.”[6] The United States was more concerned with demonstrating its nuclear capability to the Soviets than with subduing Japan.

It is undeniable from the above evidence that the U.S. had hidden motives regarding the use of the atomic bomb. Not only was Japan already near defeat, but a key nuclear expert stated that government officials expressed a primary concern with the Soviet Union, not with Japan. It is apparent that the U.S. was determined to drop those bombs to overawe Soviet Russia, regardless of Japan’s war status.

[1] Memoirs of General H. H. Arnold, Commander of the American Army Air Force in the Second World War (1949), excerpted, TheHistoryProfessor, http://www.thehistoryprofessor.com/ASS_PDF/A4_The_atomic_Bomb.pdf (accessed 5 Nov. 2011)

[2] Admiral William D. Leahy, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, William Leahy, I Was There, excerpted, Hiroshima: Was It Necessary? http://www.doug-long.com/leahy.htm (accessed 5 Nov. 2011), pg. 441

[3] Memoirs of General H. H. Arnold, Commander of the American Army Air Force in the Second World War (1949), excerpted, TheHistoryProfessor, http://www.thehistoryprofessor.com/ASS_PDF/A4_The_atomic_Bomb.pdf (accessed 5 Nov. 2011)

[4] U.S. National Archives, Record Group 77, Records of the Chief of Engineers, Manhattan Engineer District, Harrison-Bundy File, folder #77, “Interim Committee, International Control,” excerpted, TheHistoryProfessor, http://www.thehistoryprofessor.com/ASS_PDF/A4_The_atomic_Bomb.pdf (accessed 8 Nov. 2011)

[5] Nuclear physicist Leo Szilard’s recollection of a 1945 meeting between Secretary of State James Byrnes and a group of concerned atomic scientists (1949), excerpted, TheHistoryProfessor, http://www.thehistoryprofessor.com/ASS_PDF/A4_The_atomic_Bomb.pdf (accessed 5 Nov. 2011)

[6] U.S. National Archives, Record Group 77, Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Manhattan Engineer District, TS Manhattan Project File ‘42-’46, folder 5D Selection of Targets, 2 Notes on Target Committee Meetings, excerpted, TheHistoryProfessor, http://www.thehistoryprofessor.com/ASS_PDF/A4_The_atomic_Bomb.pdf (accessed 5 Nov. 2011)

On “August 6, 1945 up to 140,000” people died due to the bombing at Hiroshima, Japan (Oe 288).  Many call this act a smart reasonable attack, but many call this act a horrible unfair attack.  So many innocent lives were killed that day, and even more lives were changed for the rest of their lives. Considering both Oe, well known Japanese writer, and Mo Tzu, Chinese philosopher, they would agree this was an unrighteous act, but Oe has an exception of overcoming it will goodness.

            How can one person tell when something they do is righteous or unrighteous?  Consider this, do to others like you would like do unto yourself.  Or as Mo Tzu describes an unrighteous act is by causing harm to others to give you gain (254).  Wouldn’t everyone’s life be so much more enjoyable and happier if everyone went by those two simple rules?  Suicide, crime, and divorce rates would all decrease in how common they are today.  Along with that the economy, test scores, and charity would all have an increase in society.

            Seeing what unrighteous acts are, is there any time when an unrighteous act becomes a righteous act?  If you kill a man it’s unrighteous act, but what if you kill a man during time of war?  After the bombing in Hiroshima no one was calling the attack a righteous choice, or even a well-deserved attack.  Quite the opposite actually, the attack at Hiroshima “embodied the absolute evil of war” is what Oe wrote in The Unsurrendered People (289).  This is one of the few times people have called an act of war unrighteous and called the act as it is, evil.  Usually when these acts of killing happens during times of war people are applauded and called heroes (Tzu 254).  Why does society denounce people for evil acts on a regular day, but when these exact acts are performed during war they become honored actions?  Forget both the contexts of these actions and they are precisely the same.  These are the exact words Tzu said, “And yet when it comes to the even greater unrighteousness of offensive warfare against other states, they do not know enough to condemn it.  On the contrary, they praise it and call it righteous” (254).  This just shows how people of the world are blinded between what is right and what is wrong.  It’s like if a man tastes a small amount of bitterness he calls it bitter, but if the man tastes a lot of bitterness he calls it sweet (Tzu 254).   

            Although the bombing at Hiroshima was a horrible day it wasn’t all bad.  In order to recover from this great evil, great good would have to counter-balance society (Oe 289).  The bombing caused death, destruction, and misery but the first thing the people did were come together as one.  They started rebuilding.  They started caring about others and how they as one can help everyone recover from this evil act of war.  Even though the city was completely destroyed they did not try to tell the U.S. how wrong their actions were (Oe 290).  Evil occurred, but good overcame the evil. 

            Often people of the world get tangled in “the distinction between righteousness and unrighteousness” (Tzu 255).  But in the end, when evil happens good will overcome it (Oe 289).  Everyone must think about their actions and if they hurt other people, but not everyone can follow those simple rules.  That’s when we need to do what’s right and overcome it instead of trying to get back at them.  Without a doubt, Mo Tzu would love the golden rule.          

The bombings actually had more meaning than simply ending the war. Each interpretation of the bombings has an obvious link to the interests of the United States. Because of these special interests, the morality and ethics of the bombing is questionable. It is obvious that the United States was the only country who stood to gain anything from the bombings.

Image via Wikipedia

Some may say that we had to end the war so that we could put ourselves in a better position in the world; this position would later enable us to help other countries. Others argue that our actions were selfish, ruthless, and outright destructive. Although there are many opinions on the atomic bombing of Japan, we cannot change history; we can only reflect upon our past actions and strive to be better.

Military Reasons for Bombing

One of the most popular explanations for the bombing was for military reasons, to end the war immediately. Ending the war promptly prevented the need for future invasions, which saved more lives in the long run. Based on previous battles with Japan, the United States knew that more battles would result in a great deal of bloodshed. (Oh, n.d.) The Japanese army was determined to fight us with everything they had, which meant there were a lot of casualties.

End the War Quickly by Forcing Surrender

Shortly before the atomic bombs were dropped, it was obvious that Japan was near defeat but they were not necessarily ready to surrender. There was no question that we would defeat Japan, but the United States wanted to do so more quickly than it was happening. The atomic bomb was more about ending the war as immediately than it was about defeating Japan. (Cooper, 2000)

Keep Russia Out of the War

Russia was eager to join the war in order to help us defeat Japan, but we did not want their help. The United States feared Russian involvement because we did not want Russia to feel entitled to gaining anything, such as territory in Asia, from the imminent defeat. To allow such a territorial gain would surely mean the spread of Communism, which the United States did not want because we considered Russia one of our greatest enemies at the time. One of the main motivations for dropping the bombs was to force Japan to surrender; we knew that this tool was key in getting the Emperor to end the fighting. (Cooper, 2000)

Image via Wikipedia

Political Reasons for Bombing

In addition to military reasons, there were also many political reasons behind the bombing of Japan. The creation and testing of the atomic bomb was a very expensive project, so many government officials felt that the value of the bomb must be demonstrated by using it in the war. (Oh, n.d.) If it was not used, then it would seem like a waste of government funding because its true potential would not be seen. The United States felt that the physical and psychological power of the bomb needed to be demonstrated to the world.

Intimidation Tool 

Not only did we want other countries to know we had a powerful weapon, we wanted them to fear it. Many people suggest that one of the reasons we used the bomb was to intimidate the Russians, which has some truth to it. Soviet Russia was considered an enemy of the United States; the bomb showed them and the rest of the world what we had in our arsenal. One of our greatest fears was that Russia would attempt to expand into Asia. The bomb obviously had political implications on the rest of the world, especially Russia. The United States showed the world that we did not need Russia’s help to defeat Japan and gave us a strong hand for future negotiations. (Oh, n.d.)

Social Reasons for Bombing

There are also social reasons behind the bombings of Japan. At that point in history, the average American disliked Japan and the Japanese people a great deal. These tensions had been building ever since the 19th century and eventually peaked when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. (Oh, n.d.) The bombing of Japan can be viewed as retaliation; the United States bombed them because of Pearl Harbor and their terrible treatment of American prisoners of war.

POW’s were tortured and killed during this time in history and the American people were outraged. Despite the obvious dislike between the United States and Japan, this social reason alone is not why we bombed Japan. The government insists that the bomb was originally intended for Nazi Germany, but the bomb was not ready prior to their surrender on May 7th. (Oh, n.d.)

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Was it Justified?

Every attempt to justify the bombing of Japan is met with resistance. We can see that the decision to bomb Japan was not based on one reason, but rather a culmination of reasons from different points of view in the United States government. The military, politicians, and the American people each had their own reasons for supporting the bombing at the time. Although each of these reasons together are historically why Japan was bombed, it does not mean that all of them were fair and justified. This piece of our history illustrates America as arrogant and powerful. Although we may not consider arrogance a good trait, at that time it was necessary. The bombing of Japan played a key role in the end of WWII and subsequent history, despite seemingly compromised morals and ethics.

References

Cooper, J. (2000) Truman’s Motivations: Using the Atomic Bomb in the Second World War. Retrieved on August 9, 2011 from http://www.johnwcooper.com/papers/atomicbombtruman.htm

Oh, J. (n.d.) Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Decision to Drop the Bomb. Retrieved on August 9, 2011 from http://www.umich.edu/~historyj/pages_folder/articles/Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki/pdf

The Manhattan Project was the US Government’s secret military project established in 1942 which aimed to produce the US’ first nuclear weapon. Fears of Nazi Germany creating a nuclear weapon during the Second World War sparked the establishment of the Manhattan Project. The US physicists J. Robert Oppenheimer and Leslie R. Groves headed a team of the finest US scientists, engineers, mathematicians in conjunction with the European scientists Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi and Leo Sizlard to participate in the Manhatten Project. The Project was divided into three main research and production facilities at Oak Ridge, Hanford and Los Alamos. By the end of the project, the Project conjured a substantial amount of Uranium -235 (a rare isotope of Uranium) to produce the Little Boy and Big Boy atomic weapons.

1. Describe the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Why were these chosen? Give details of the bombs and the physical destruction they caused. (At least a page).

On May 10th 1915, the Target committee at Los Amos led by Robert Oppenheimer decided on which targets that would be suitable to ‘bomb’. They recommended the cities Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama and Kokura. The committee managed to agree that the atomic weapons should not be used on a military target due to the chance of missing them and instead, they decided on a more ‘civilian’ based target.

Hiroshima was eventually chosen due to its large size, civilian population of 225,000 people, military significance and vast hills that surrounded the city that would create a ‘focusing effect’ and thereby, intensify the destructive capacity of the bomb. During the time of the bombing of the city, it was home to the headquarters of the 5th division, housing Field Marhsal Shunkoro Hata’s 2nd General Headquarters. Furthermore, it served as a minor supple and logistics base with could act as a storage area for the assembly of troops, whilst acting as a communication hub. Its ability to produce toxins and chemicals that were used against the Chinese also enticed the committee to choose the city.

The bombing of Hiroshima took place on August 6th, 1945. The Enola Gay, a B-29 Superfortress of the 393d Bombardment Squadron was accompanied accompanied by two other B-29 Superfortresses, one containing instrumentation and the other a photography equipment. The bomb ‘Little Boy’ was released uneventfully at 8:15 (Hiroshima Time). The gun-type fission bomb with 60Kg of uranium-235 took 57 seconds to fall from the aircraft and detonate 600m on top of the city. A blast equivalent to 13 kilotons of TNT ripped the heart out of Hiroshima. The nuclear explosion consisted of five interlinked effects: heat, light, blast, fallout and electromagnetic pulse (EMP)

The immediate aftermath of the bombing would produce a death toll of 70,000 people. By 1950, the figure would climb up to 200,000 people due to the long-term illnesses experienced by victims who were within the vicinity of the bomb blast.

Similarly, the atomic bombing of Nagasaki was chosen due to its military significance. During the war, it was the largest sea port in Southern Japan that bustled with industrial activity, producing ordnance, ships and military equipment. On the morning og August 9, 1945, a US B-29 Superfortress by the name of Bockscar flew out to engage the city of Kokura (Nagasaki at this stage was a secondary target). When a 70% cloud cover was reported over Kokura, the bomber changed course to Nagasaki and at 11:01, dropped the atomic weapon ‘Fat Man’. The 6.4kg plutonium-239 cor was dropped over the city’s industrial valley  and caused a casualty rate of 40,000 – 75,000 people. By the end of 1945, it would increase to 80,000.

“The atomic bomb was more than a weapon of terrible destruction; it was a psychological weapon” US Secretary of War Henry L. Stinson, 1947.

1. What was the immediate reaction of Western media to the dropping of the bombs?

This reaction is based off a BBC news article written a few days after the bombing of Hiroshima.

The Western media seemed to take positive militaristic view on the bombing of Hiroshima. A major component of the sense of ‘accomplishent’ on the droppings of the atomic weapon seemed to be based on America’s achievements on of “harnessing the basic power of the Universe” (Harry S. Trumann) by embracing science as “British and American science has outpaced all German efforts” (Winston Churchill). The Western Media appear to have praised the destruction of Japan that had effectively ended the Second World War and neglected the drastically large loss of life necessary to achieve so, particularly on the civilian population.

In the year 2012, the political leaders of the world got together and discussed topics regarding the state of the world. At a certain point communication went south and tempers flared. There were insults, racial slurs, and every derogatory term under the sun had been used. The meeting ended on a sour note and was called off; however, this does not mean communication had ceased. The ties between Russia and Germany had been shaky at best, and it showed. Their argument got to the point where there were threats of war, which soon broke out amongst the two nations. Germany, having been pushed into a corner, made a last ditch effort and launch a nuclear strike on Russia. This angered the neighboring countries. So much so, that they decided to join the fray. China was bombing Germany, whilst Germany bombed Russia. Every nation decided to take the opportunity to lay siege onto the nation that most displeased them. Eventually, the world had been ravaged to a point where repair seemed almost impossible. There had been so many nuclear strikes that all electrical equipment had been fried in the EMP blasts. Anything with a circuit had been long since destroyed.

By the time everyone had realized the consequences of their actions, some 200 years later, it was too late. Little over ninety-nine percent of the world’s population had been wiped out; men, women, children, husbands, wives, brothers, and sisters alike; leaving a mere 6 million people left in total. These 6 million people are a melting pot of the total population of every country; furthermore, these 6 million are divided amongst the two remaining factions who are split between the new and old Babylonians. The two have been fighting for so long that they have long since forgotten why they were fighting in the first place. To them it’s a way of life; however, lurking in the ashen shadows of the once proud nations, lies a new threat, the necrotic fruit of their actions past.

Chapter 1

It was particularly hot in New Babylonia today, being mid-day in June and all, and they were still at it; although, it probably didn’t help that I was in full leather. The two factions, of who neither knew why they were fighting in the first place, were at each other’s throats with intent to kill, and I, Tsunagaru Masaki, wanted no part of it. I just didn’t see the need to fight for no reason, but I did like to wear the military uniform, because the clunky goggles kept the dust from your eyes and the leather was durable and prevented injury in case of accidents. Others frowned upon me because of the fact that I didn’t feel the need to fight even though I had the height and strength needed to be a soldier. For some reason it had just been accepted as honorable to kill a New Babylonian, again, I just didn’t get it. I spent my time doing things that I thought were infinitely more productive. Machines always fascinated me, even though hardly any of them worked, but I still liked them. I liked to see how they worked; what made them tick. I would often invent machines of my own for various purposes. It has been said in fairy tales that in the past that the technology was far greater than it was now. Everyone, nowadays, is so gosh darn stubborn that they flat out refuse to believe that the new and old Babylonians were once the same race of people and insist that we are at the pinnacle of technology. To give a brief summary of the current living conditions, I would have to say that we’re more than a few towels short from a 5-star hotel. The rooms were damp and musty with dust and dirt piled higher than most of the buildings, which looked like they would collapse given a small breeze. Honestly, I don’t know how anyone could even consider living in these conditions. Regardless, it was none of my business, so, in light of that, I went on an expedition to some of the ruins farther away from ground zero.

There were plenty of “ground zeros” across the scorched earth, but no one knew why we called it ground zero, nor why there were multiple ground zeros. It was just another one of those generally accept beliefs… not that they held any particular significance anyways. According to the old maps that were saved from the blasts, New Babylonia would be square in what was, Hiroshima, Japan. There weren’t many surviving documents from the past; in fact, there weren’t many things that survived period, but, I guess we did what we had to in order to survive. The issue with a ground zero is that they are forbidden grounds. They are forbidden because the current power says that those who travel there become deathly ill. I didn’t see the issue because I’m out there nearly every day and I have yet to so much as sneeze.

“Not causing trouble again are we?” said a familiar voice.

“If you call collecting trouble then I guess so” I retorted.

“The sass with you!” said the voice, as I had not even bothered to turn around.

“You could at least face me when you’re talking!” she yelled as I finally decided to turn around.

“Keiko, I don’t even know why you bother with me every day” I sighed…

I’ve known Keiko for a few years now. We happened to meet one afternoon at the eastern border of this particular ground zero. Usually, her form of a greeting is a hearty helping of unwarranted accusations followed immediately by acts of physical violence. Her bold jade eyes and fiery red hair complemented her stubborn and abrasive attitude and matched her only volume setting, loud; however, she does have good morals and never fails to impose it on others. I have my reasons for distancing myself from others and most people tend to steer clear anyways, but she won’t for some reason.

…”Because you cause trouble with each of your inventions! And you know that there have been disappearances lately!” Keiko stated

“It’s not my fault that people try to mess with the stuff,” I said with a pout

“Every time I get something finished someone has to fiddle with it out of spite or curiosity,” I continued.

“I know, but the other citizens don’t see it that way,” she said calming down

“It doesn’t help that you accept the blame for the incidents either. Even though you were not the cause…” she finished

“Isn’t this against the rules? I thought new and old Babylonians were supposed to be enemies?” I said, trying to escape

“You know that you don’t mean that. I know that you think all this…” I began to tune her out, because at one point, amongst my rummaging, I came across something particularly interesting. There was a building entrenched in the decrepit ruins in the distance which was, for the most part, intact. I managed to slip away from Keiko, while she was talking, into the direction of the structure. Upon venturing inside, I was immediately greeted by a huge door. The door was not rusted in the slightest with an intricate bronzed surface. Gears and cogs covered the face of the gilded door. I was brimming with curiosity, so I broke out my tools and began to disassemble the door. The tools I used may attest to the size of the door. I had to use a ladder, which was conveniently nearby, to get to the top section of the door. The scale of the door was no joke, but the inner mechanisms were intriguing, to say the least. Gears, cogs, pins, wheels, bolts, it had everything. After a while, I began to think, “What could have warranted a door of this magnitude?”, and with that, passing thought I drew the last bolt from the hinge and down the door went; with a magnificent sound to boot, scattering parts across the foyer. The inside was infinitely more interesting that the door itself. Surprisingly, the inside looked completely clean and untouched by time itself. It was a gear-head’s dream. There were mechanical components as far as the eye could see. Apparently, our precursors were able to build devices that could only be possible in one’s imagination. There were guns that were not steam powered, torches that had no flame, and what looked to be metal humans. This looked like it was meant to be a factory for making them. I looked at the ones that looked finished and began fiddling with the spare components. I felt that the human shape was a tad eerie, so, I decided on something more of a wolf or dog shape. Smooth, precise, fluid, every piece went together like the opposite ends of a magnet. The components were all compatible and meshed together regardless of my building style. Each piece smoothed together with the next and melded upon contact, leaving only the faintest of lines, which was the only clue that they weren’t one piece to begin with. I had constructed it with a similar foundation to the others, but each one looked like they were missing the same thing. I looked around for a component that looked like it fit, only to come across another room. This room was filled with hazard signs and intimidating creations, but curiosity got the best of me. I looked around and found some switches, and inquisitive as always I pulled them. I jumped with surprise as the first one made a horrible noise start somewhere else in the building. After a period, the noise leveled out and became less threatening. In spite of my initial reaction and apparent apprehension, I pulled the second switch and the room was flooded with blinding light. I had initially thought that the ceiling had opened up, but once my eye sight had adjusted, It looked like they had placed these light sticks in the ceilings.

“Huh, interesting”, I thought.

With the rooms now filled with light, I could investigate more in depth. I spotted a machine that looked like it took the same component that the humanoids were missing. In the back of the room, I found it. I had found what looked to be the missing component. It was cylindrical and had a protrusion and a recess on the top and bottom, respectively, and was roughly the size of a tin can. Excited, I rushed over to my creation and placed the component into my machine. After a period of waiting, I began to wonder what that machine from before did, so I removed the component from my wolf and returned to the curious machine in the other room. I put the new part in this machine and it too did nothing. There were plenty of switches on this contraption too, but none of them looked like the others I had flipped. I couldn’t decide which one to push, so I just went with the biggest one. The room went alive and the contraption made a hellish cocktail of buzzing, whirring, cracking, and beeping sounds. I ran for cover outside of the room, but the event had stopped as quickly as it had begun. What had remained of the component? What had remained look exactly as it did before, but it was warm now? Filled with a sense of accomplishment, I returned to my creation and placed the component into the compartment. The compartment immediately closed and the wolf spoke to me and said, “Voice authentication required”. Not knowing what to say I said, “I’m going to call you Hagane!”. Hagane then said, “Voice Identification confirmed” and started to make a weird succession of noises and motions. The eyes lit up and every part pulsed. All noises suddenly ceased, so I peered in close to see what could have happened. Hagane then turned to me so abruptly that I fell over in surprise.

“Well, aren’t you particularly clumsy?” said Hagane.

I pointed at myself and asked, “did you just talk… to me?”

“Yes, who else would I be talking to?” said Hagane sarcastically.

“Speaking of which, what is your name?” Hagane continued.

Still, quite baffled, I answered, “Tsunagaru, Tsunagaru Masaki.”, as Hagane began to inspect me.

My mind was blown! I couldn’t even believe what had just happened before my very eyes. I had just brought metal to life! As she paced me, I noticed the metal moving as if it were skin. It had when I was assembling it. More intrigued than terrified, I began to ask Hagane a barrage of questions like, “What is a computer? What was the technology like? How did the world get to be this way?” I had more questions than I could possibly hope to ask in one breath. When I had finally finished Hagane simply stated, “What?”

“What are you talking about?” Hagane asked as she peered passed me.

Having caught a glimpse of the initial entryway she began walking outside. Upon reaching the doorway, I felt a sense of surprise and sadness take over Hagane. I walked up to her and stated that this is the way that the world has been for as long as we can remember. I told Hagane about the world, as we know it today. I told her everything from our accepted history to the legends and myths of the past, which she took in with a somber expression.

“Well, I was curious as to why I had this form, but now I see”, she said calmly with a sigh.

“The world wasn’t always like this. Based on what you have told me I have been out for over 200 years”

“My memory seems to have stopped updating at the year 2020, so I’m guessing that’s when the information centers went down. I’m not sure about the last 180 years, but there is a reason that the two factions are fighting. It dates back to a feud from the year 2012, after which, a war broke out amongst the leading nations, which apparently lead to the destruction of the civilized world.” Hagane explained.

We decided to leave the building, and explore the area for the sake of Hagane’s curiosity. While exploring we shared stories of our times in the world. I told her of the different kinds of people and customs and she gave me a similar story of her time. It was actually quite interesting the way the world used to work before war broke out. Apparently, the world was a better place back then. On the other hand, the technology made life too easy for humans. I think they depended on it too much. They used robots for working farms, assembly lines, daycare, even going to work for them. The government saw this and that was probably why they went to war.

“Actually, yes; the nations had met that day to discuss that matter of over dependence on technology” she stated as the sun went under the horizon

“It was a heated debate, but unfortunately, it was not without bias,” she continued

“the meeting was held both virtually and in reality. There were some who were there via Digital Avatar and others who were actually there.”

“This led to accusations of one’s seriousness in the debate and it all went downhill from there.” Hagane finished.

As she finished I saw something dart across the rubble from the side. I turned towards it and pointed my new flashlight in the direction of the motion only to find nothing. Typical. Somewhat spooked I picked up the pace back home with Hagane in tow.

Since humans invented the scientific method, our creativity and innovation has allowed us to make fantastic scientific advancement that have bettered the lives of many all over the world. For example, medical advances have increased the average life expectancy of the human race and developments in telecommunications have made the world a much smaller place. However, there is a darker side to scientific development. In this essay, I will show that a large proportion of scientific developments have been made without ethical considerations in mind.

One of the most significant scientific developments in the past hundred years can be compressed into a single equation: E = mc2. Developed by Albert Einstein, it has led to significant advances in the field of nuclear physics. It was used to develop the nuclear bomb, which devastated the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The destruction and long-lasting effects of nuclear weapons caused countries around the world to reconsider the usage of nuclear weapons, resulting in the creation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNPT). However, such ethical considerations only came after countries like the United States and Russia had substantial stocks of nuclear weapons. In the case of nuclear weapons, scientific development came before ethical considerations.

Another major scientific achievement was the completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP). It enabled scientists to make much further advancement in the field of genetics, including possible cures for many genetic disorders. However, while the completion of the project was celebrated by academia, there has been a lack of discussion on the ethical issues that may arise. The HGP has identified many genes that are responsible for causing diseases and scientists are bound to discover more as research progresses further. This has allowed doctors to screen patients for genetic diseases. However, should genetic screening become universal, it may result in genetic discrimination. Insurance companies may refuse to offer plans to those whose genes indicate they are at a high risk of contracting diseases. While research into genetics has many benefits for mankind, it has many associated ethical issues that have not been sufficiently discussed.

Developments have also been made in the areas of cloning and fertility. When the first cloned sheep, Dolly, was born, it was a ground-breaking achievement. It immediately raised the issue of human cloning. When put together with another genetics research, it brought to light the issue of designer babies, causing us to ponder whether we have the right to, as former US president Bill Clinton put it, ‘play god.’ In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) has given rise to the concept of surrogate wombs, which has becoming a booming industry in India. These issues have arisen because scientists have not adequately considered the ethical issues that arise from their research.

However, I argue that scientists are not responsible for scientific developments outpacing ethical considerations. An extensive set of professional ethics governs scientific research. Research findings are then utilised in scientific developments. By conducting their scientific research in an ethical fashion, scientists have already taken ethical considerations into account. When scientists conduct their research, they cannot fully predict what others will use their research findings for. Using the human genome project (HGP) as an example, if scientists had decided that genetic discrimination would arise from their research and had chosen not to pursue the project, we would be much further away from cures to genetic diseases. There are ethical considerations associated with all scientific developments. Unfortunately, such ethical considerations are overshadowed by the extensive benefits that scientific developments bring.

In conclusion, an overwhelming number of scientific developments have been made without ethical considerations. Ultimately, for any scientific development, its larger implications on the society must be considered. In the pursuit of knowledge, it is unfortunate the ethical considerations have not been adequately taken into account. We should devote more time to pondering the ethics behind our scientific developments while at the same time continuing to progress forward.

  ”The scale nuclear accidents and radioactive leaks caused long-term, raising concerns in Japan and elsewhere in the world,” said Khan at the ceremony at the Peace Park in Hiroshima.

  ”I will make Japan less dependent on nuclear power, with the aim of creating a society that is not subject to the power generation of that kind,” he said.

  Japan was twice bombed by nuclear weapons by the United States: August 6, 1945 in Hiroshima and August 9, 1945 in Nagasaki.

“Little Boy”, a nickname given by American soldiers of the uranium bomb dropped on Hiroshima four tons, exploded several hundred feet from the ground with a blinding light, emitting a blast and heat of several thousand degrees, which reduced all living beings to the state of ashes in a radius of several hundred meters.

The accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, on March 11, after a giant tsunami caused by an earthquake, forced more than 80,000 people from the surrounding area within a radius of 20 kilometers.

With a new cry for peace and disarmament, Japan recalled yesterday to the victims of the atomic bomb that leveled Hiroshima 66 years ago, in a ceremony that Japan’s Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, used to challenge “the myth of security” nuclear.Como energy each year, at 8.15 local time a minute of silence broken only by several strokes recalled in the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima when the bomb fell on the city and ended immediately with the 120.000 lives of its inhabitants, reports EFE.

Representatives from some 70 countries, including the U.S. and the EU and the UN were among the 50,000 who attended the tribute, including the elderly bomb survivors and their families against radioactivity whose message this year was amplified by the crisis in the nuclear Fukushima.Ante the cenotaph memorial, Japan’s prime minister expressed “deep regret” for believing in the “myth of the security” of nuclear power and promised to thoroughly investigate the causes of the accident at Fukushima Daiichi central, the worst in 25 years.

Khan, who took office just over a year and announced he will step down once channeled the crisis triggered by the earthquake in March, insisted that Japan “review its energy policy from the ground” to reduce their level of dependence on central atómicas.Además in calling for disarmament, said that Japan is the only country that has suffered the atomic bomb, has “responsibility” to convey to all humanity the threat posed by nuclear weapons.

At the ceremony yesterday were added 5.785 new names to the list of all people who lost their lives directly or indirectly by the tragedy of Hiroshima, which rose well to a total of 275.230 victims mortales.Poco before the intervention of Khan Mayor of the city, Kazumi Matsui, questioned the national energy policy and stressed the “tremendous anxiety” that raises “the current threat of radioactivity” in Fukushima.

Without going to call clearly for an end to nuclear power plants, Matsui, son of two survivors of the atomic bomb, asked the government action “to win back the understanding and trust of the people.” Furthermore, the traditional Peace Declaration , demanded the abolition of nuclear weapons and launched a lukewarm criticism of U.S. recalling that “continues to conduct subcritical nuclear tests and other experiments.”

The debate over the safety of nuclear power plants planned this year also on the tributes that were held around the symbolic Bomb Dome, the skeleton of the building left standing in the area after the ataque.Si While there was no Large antinuclear demonstrations, along with banners and posters for peace could see some messages warning against nuclear power, which Japan obtained 30 percent of its electricity before the accident in Fukushima.

At the Peace Park came thousands of people, many of them to devote homage and prayers for the deceased and also to show their respect for the survivors, who for years suffered from the stigma of discriminación.En Hiroshima, is now a dynamic city of over one million inhabitants, there are 68.886 atomic bomb survivors with a mean age of 77 years, whose accounts are gaining courage to protect their experiences from oblivion.

Little boy atomic bomb in question is “The Little Boy” which was launched by the United States Military (U.S.). Little Boy was already prepared on July 31, 1945.

On August 2, Hiroshima is determined as the main target of U.S. military in Japan. The attack it self eventually performed on August 6, 1945, while Japan remains adamant never to surrender to allied forces in World War II.

This atomic bomb dropped from a Boeing B-29 Superfortress named Enola Gay. U.S. bomber piloted by Lt. Col. Paul W. Tibbets.

Dropped from a height of approximately 31,000 feet, the atomic bomb was exploded at 8:15 am Japan time on August 6, 1945. The bomb exploded when it reached an altitude of 550 meters.

Little Boy has a length of three meters wide and 71 centi-meter and weighs approximately 4000 pounds. The explosion of the bomb was equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT-type explosives.

Bomb in reference to former U.S. President Frank D Roosevelt, being able to make the damage as far as distance of 13 kilometers per side.

Nearly 60 percent of the buildings in Hiroshima reportedly destroyed in the blast. Casualties caused by the bomb blast was originally known to reach 118,661 civilians, but the number is rectified to about 140,000 of the population of Hiroshima which reached 350,000 inhabitants.

Three days later, ie on August 9, 1945, the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb re-named “Fat Man”. This bomb is much larger than the size of Little Boy. Fat Man himself referred to as the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Fat Man weighs 4050 kilograms and dropped into the city of Nagasaki. The level of devastation caused by this very large bomb.

Area approximately 6.7 kilometers of hilly area of ​​ Nagasaki, reportedly destroyed luluhlantak. 74,000 citizens of Nagasaki was reportedly killed by a bomb.

While the survivors have to finish their lifetime because of suffering from deadly diseases because of the radiation caused