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About this book
In the 1950s, Soviet nuclear scientists and leaders imagined a stunning future when giant reactors would generate energy quickly and cheaply, nuclear engines would power cars, ships, and airplanes, and peaceful nuclear explosions would transform the landscape. Driven by the energy of the atom, the dream of communism would become a powerful reality. Thirty years later, that dream died in Chernobyl. What went wrong? Based on exhaustive archival research and interviews, Red Atom takes a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the Soviet Union's peaceful use of nuclear power. It explores both the projects and the technocratic and political elite who were dedicated to increasing state power through technology. And it describes the political, economic, and environmental fallout of Chernobyl. A story of big science run amok, Red Atom illuminates the problems that can befall any society heavily invested in large-scale technology.
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Red Atom by Paul Josephson,Paul Josephson in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Russian History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Contents
- Chronology
- Acknowledgment
- Prologue: Atomic-Powered Communism
- Chapter 1. The Reactor in the Garden
- Chapter 2. Nuclear Breeders: Technological Determinism
- Chapter 3. Nuclear Concrete
- Chapter 4. Nuclear Engines: Technology as Panacea
- Chapter 5. Nuclear Chickens: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Ionizing Radiation
- Chapter 6. A Stellar Promise: The Display Value of Fusion Power
- Chapter 7. Reactors for the Republics
- Chapter 8. Nuclear Explosions: Peaceful and Otherwise
- Epilogue: Atomic-Powered Communism Reconsidered
- Appendix: Table 1–24
- About the Sources
- Notes
- Index