http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhAypMTT9Yc

The video clip above depicts the flash of an Atomic bomb testing at Nevada as “old news” and “routine” because it happen so often that it became usual to residents life at Nevada. However,  out of the hundreds of tests at Nevada which began around 1950, there were surely many testing being unannounced as well.

Like Eric Foner mentioned, ” The cold war encouraged a culture of secrecy and dishonesty” as tons of money poured into weapons development. For instance,  not until decades has passed was it exposed that during the 50’s and 60’s unaware soldiers were being exposed to chemicals, biological and nuclear weapons from experiment done by American government. Additionally, radiation unconsciously exposed to thousands of civilians in Nevada and pacific island caused cancer and birth defects. On the flip side, military spending during the cold period enhanced economic growth and further perfected weapons development. Furthermore, it also skew to the improvement of ” air craft, computers, medicines, and other products with large impact on civilian life”. American higher education was improved and expanded.

If the first nuclear testing wasn’t conducted as passed in Alamagordo, New Mexico in 1945, the war with Japan would have lasted longer which would have resulted in more casualties. Civilians in Nevada and pacific island wouldn’t be exposed to radiation and if nuclear bomb testing didn’t progress during the cold war, the soviets wouldn’t have successfully developed nuclear weapons. Moreover, people today wouldn’t fear nuclear weaponry as  a possible doomsday weapon.