REFLECTION

For my final essay of this course, I chose to write about the continued influence that the
Manhattan Project has had on the history of the United States and the world. This event in history still
holds significant relevance today as it has affected many of our relations with foreign countries. The way
in which we conduct conflict, technologies we use and even our current culture has been influenced by
this singular event in our history. For example, in this year of 2022, there is tension once again building
between world powers of Russia, the United States and even China. The threat of nuclear war is talked
about in news, social media, and even video games. In recent years, we have heard time and again of
North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and the threat we face from it. But I also think that it is
because of the presence of nuclear bombs that we have not seen death tolls as we did in the World
Wars, it seems all nations are hesitant to show that same aggression due to the threat of an atomic
bomb. This event has helped my understanding of the world that I live in currently, looking back through
history I can see its influence through decisions made by the government, and I have a better grasp on
why negotiations and conflict seem to come about in such a complicated way or why the United States
becomes so concerned about the dealings and proceedings of other nations nearly half a world away.
For example, in one of the video’s I watched to learn more about the Manhattan Project, the film
creators interviewed a physicist by the name of Edward Teller who worked on the Manhattan Project,
but also was a part of the Hydrogen Bomb Project as well. While many scientists were against the
creation of the Hydrogen Bomb due to what they had seen happen in Japan, Edward says, “Progress
cannot be stopped, and we are told to stop progress. I am very much afraid that progress will occur and
will occur in a country that is less dedicated to peace than we are.” While this was said back in 2002, I
believe this is an accurate representation of what we are looking at today. The United States has been
the only nation to drop an atomic bomb on another country and while we have prepared even more
destructive weaponry, we have yet to use them in warfare. While other growing countries are trying
their hand at nuclear weapons, it worries the world. The most well-known of these countries is North
Korea. The United States throughout modern history has tried to label themselves as the
“Peacekeepers” of the world. This topic can be debated, but I think just the presence of the United
States and its nuclear weapons has discouraged a lot of conflict the world might have faced otherwise.

Throughout my attendance at Salt Lake Community College, I have taken a variety of different
classes and can connect in one way or another to the Manhattan Project. I took an Astrophysics class
and some of the topics we discussed were the Space Race, Space Exploration and the advantages that
came from it all. The Space Race goes hand in hand with the nuclear arms race with Russia. Another
course I took was a conservation biology class, in which the main point was the balance and
preservation of ecosystems. Nuclear weapons upset this balance greatly as we see it has affected lives of
those that lived downwind from testing sites and created dangerous spots of radiation. The Manhattan
Project, from the first successful test in New Mexico has changed the life of everyone on the planet in
one way or another.

“Modern Marvels: Manhattan Project.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2002,

fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=102595&xtid=42860. Accessed 1 May 2022.