Since the dropping of the Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, atomic power has been a source of continued scientific research and intrigue. Scientists, to this day, continue to research the capabilities of nuclear powe... more »r. "Nuclear Accidents and Testing," shows testing by the United States in the 1950s at Bikini Atoll and documents the first fatal accident of a nuclear reactor in the US in Idaho. Table of Contents: (1) After the atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki there was a fear as to what would happen if a bomb was dropped on the US navy fleet. "Operations Crossroads" is the story of the nuclear testing done at the island of Bikini Atoll in the summer of 1946, a result of those concerns put into the largest laboratory possible. The lab rats are naval ships code named Baker and Abel. It makes no mention of the inhabitants that were expelled from their home to do this testing nor the heinous environmental effects or even that the tests were inconclusive, but the images are striking and harsh; a grim reminder of the damages and creations of war - 27 Minutes (2) At the height of the Cold War atomic power was necessary power. During the 1950s several tests were preformed of thermonuclear devices the largest being Operation Ivy and the detonation of the first hydrogen bomb. "Operation Ivy," showcases the military lead up to the testing of the atomic bomb, including status updates on weather, operations, and key precautionary measures, and shows the actual detonation of the bomb codenamed Mike - 28 Minutes (3) The first fatal accident of a nuclear operated reactor in the United States occurred at the Atomic Energy Commission's national testing laboratory in Idaho on January 3, 1961. "SL-1 The Accident: Phases I and II," uses a combination of actual and reenacted scenes to examine the methods for handling nuclear emergencies. It showcases the fears many have had about nuclear operated plants and the dangers of atomic power - 40 Minutes« less
