Nuclear Fear: A History of Images

Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 12
Part One ~ Years of Fantasy ~ 1902-1938......Page 16
1 Radioactive Hopes......Page 18
White Cities of the Future......Page 20
Missionaries for Science......Page 24
The Meaning of Transmutation......Page 28
2 Radioactive Fears......Page 32
Scientific Doomsdays......Page 33
The Dangerous Scientist......Page 36
Scientists and Weapons......Page 39
Debating the Scientist\'s Role......Page 43
3 Radium: Elixir or Poison?......Page 51
The Elixir of Life......Page 53
Rays of Life......Page 56
Death Rays......Page 58
Radium as Medicine and Poison......Page 62
4 The Secret, the Master, and the Monster......Page 70
Smashing Atoms......Page 72
The Fearful Master......Page 74
Monsters and Victims......Page 79
Real Scientists......Page 84
The Situation before Fission......Page 87
Part Two ~ Confronting Reality ~ 1939-1952......Page 90
5 Where Earth and Heaven Meet......Page 92
Imaginary Bomb-Reactors......Page 93
Real Reactors and Safety Questions......Page 98
Planned Massacres......Page 107
\"The Second Coming\"......Page 113
6 The News from Hiroshima......Page 118
Cliche Experts......Page 119
Hiroshima Itself......Page 121
Security through Control by Scientists?......Page 126
Security through Control over Scientists?......Page 134
7 National Defenses......Page 143
Civil Defenses......Page 144
Bombs as a Psychological Weapon......Page 152
The Airmen......Page 160
Part Three ~ New Hopes and Horrors ~ 1953-1963......Page 168
8 Atoms for Peace......Page 170
A Positive Alternative......Page 173
Atomic Propaganda Abroad......Page 177
Atomic Propaganda at Home......Page 180
9 Good and Bad Atoms......Page 185
Magical Atoms......Page 186
Real Reactors......Page 189
The Core of Mistrust......Page 191
Tainted Authorities......Page 194
10 The New Blasphemy......Page 198
Bombs as a Violation of Nature......Page 199
Radioactive Monsters......Page 206
Blaming Authorities......Page 210
11 Death Dust......Page 214
Crusaders against Contamination......Page 215
A Few Facts......Page 222
Clean or Filthy Bombs?......Page 224
12 The Imagination of Survival......Page 230
Visions of the End......Page 232
Survivors as Savages......Page 234
The Victory of the Victim......Page 239
The Great Thermonuclear Strategy Debate......Page 246
The World as Hiroshima......Page 251
The Movement......Page 256
Attacking the Warriors......Page 263
Running for Shelter......Page 268
Cuban Catharsis......Page 273
Reasons for Silence......Page 277
Part Four ~ Suspect Technology ~ 1956-1986......Page 286
Unwanted Explosions: Bombs......Page 288
Unwanted Explosions: Reactors......Page 295
Advertising the Maximum Accident......Page 303
15 Reactor Poisons and Promises......Page 310
Pollution from Reactors......Page 311
The Public Loses Interest......Page 314
The Nuplex versus the China Syndrome......Page 317
16 The Debate Explodes......Page 324
The Fight against Antimissiles......Page 325
Sounding the Radiation Alarm......Page 327
Reactors: A Surrogate for Bombs?......Page 335
Environmentalists Step In......Page 338
17 Energy Choices......Page 343
Alternative Energy Sources......Page 344
Real Reactor Risks......Page 346
\"It\'s Political\"......Page 354
The Reactor Wars......Page 358
18 Civilization or Liberation?......Page 363
The Logic of Authority and Its Enemies......Page 364
Nature versus Culture......Page 369
Modes of Expression......Page 374
The Public\'s Image of Nuclear Power......Page 380
19 The War Fear Revival: An Unfinished Chapter......Page 390
Part Five ~ The Search for Renewal ~......Page 404
Despair and Denial......Page 406
Help from Heaven?......Page 410
Objects in the Skies......Page 413
Mushroom and Mandala......Page 416
21 Artistic Transmutations......Page 422
The Interior Holocaust......Page 423
Rebirth from Despair......Page 427
Toward the Four-Gated City......Page 430
Conclusion......Page 436
A Personal Note......Page 444
Sources and Methodology......Page 448
Notes......Page 454
Index......Page 540