
Enrico Fermi, father of the nuclear age – History of physics - endisukaj
https://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21733971-new-biography-italian-physicist-considered-last-man-know-everything-enrico?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/ed/enricofermifatherofthenuclearagehistoryofphysics
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rmason
I toured the Enrico Fermi nuclear plant as a kid. Learned a lot about the man.
They also tried very hard to sell us on a nuclear powered future.

They even talked about nuclear powered cars. When it came time for questions I
said what would happen with a nuclear powered car in case of a traffic
accident? The spokesman said that was a stupid question and refused to answer
it.

On the ride back to school the teacher reassured me that it was a valid
question and that he was wrong to refuse to answer it.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Fermi_Nuclear_Generatin...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Fermi_Nuclear_Generating_Station)

If nuclear powered cars seem like a fanciful idea they really were seriously
considered in the fifties and sixties. Here's information about a Ford
prototype.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Nucleon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Nucleon)

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pmoriarty
The nuclear car idea reminds me of Edward Teller advocacy of using nuclear
bombs to excavate a harbor in Alaska, "in the shape of a polar bear, if
required".[1][2]

[1] -
[http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/VirtualClassroom/Chariot/vande...](http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/VirtualClassroom/Chariot/vandegraft.html)

[2] -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Chariot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Chariot)

~~~
rmason
Or Elon Musk's idea to use nuclear explosions over the poles to change the
climate on Mars and make it more inhabitable.

[http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/11/us/elon-musk-mars-nuclear-
bomb...](http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/11/us/elon-musk-mars-nuclear-bomb-colbert-
feat/index.html)

