Nuclear bombs, the power to destroy an entire city and population in less than a minute. Why?

Hi, my name is Erin. Welcome to my blog. Im a grade 11 high school student in Canada. I just finished a project on The Manhattan Project. I learned a lot about the creation and ever long lasting effects of nuclear weapons, but one question that has stayed with me throughout this project is why?

Historical significance is something we measure by the impact it had on human life. The way it made it made and makes us feel. The way its impact had on the world as a whole. The Manhattan Project created the first nuclear weapon. At the time we knew nuclear weapons would be dangerous. We knew that discovering the science behind it would change our lives. But the possibilities and possible power that could be held by splitting an atom drove us to do it. With the creation of an atomic bomb, a new power was created. The power to completely destroy an entire city and population in a minute. The power to win a war. And that’s what happened. Humans created this powerful weapon and used it to end the war quickly. Two bombs destroyed two city’s, and killed an estimated of 13,000 to 215,000 people. We discovered this evolutionary science of splitting an atom and the first thought and thing we did was create a weapon. Sadly we live in a world where war will probably always be relevant. There’s always been conflicts, there’s current conflicts, and there probably always will be conflicts. We’ve created a world where we live everyday with the possibility of a nuclear detonation. We’ve created this power that will always be relevant.

Why? Why did we create this? Why? This is a question I don’t think I will ever be able to answer. Sadly I don’t know why. I don’t understand why we as humans hurt each other. Why we feel success in killing and destroying others homes and lives. Why we created this nuclear power to end our world as a whole. So why? I don’t know.

For my final project on The Manhattan Project I had to deliver a speech. For me this was a challenge and I was definitely a little nervous and stressed about it. I am an introvert, I always have been rather quiet. My teachers, friends, and family, would describe me as quiet, shy, and observant. To deliver a four minute speech in front of the entire class for me was a challenge. But I did it. I stuttered a few times and definitely talked a little fast but I was still able to do it. I don’t think it was perfect but for me personally I think it was improvement. My speech was about the why? The thing I don’t understand in humans.

I am sorry I don’t have an answer to my leading question, but I don’t know what the answer is. I’ve found that the more I learn about war and The Manhattan Project, the more I question why?