Development of useful power from nuclear fission

THE DEVELOPMENT of nuclear fission as an important source of useful energy is one of the great scientific and technological challenges of the world today. Here is a source of energy which is potentially capable of supplying the world´s needs for hundreds of years; yet the problems of developing and proving the technical feasibility and economics are beset with peculiar difficulties, for the solution of which very little precedent exists. First and foremost is the problem of secrecy and security. The fuel for nuclear power plants is also the explosive material of atomic bombs, and the consequences of this fact have a far-reaching effect on every aspect of the task. The political problems of atomic energy are, of course, paramount, but this article will be confined to the scientific phases of the problem.