Much to my dismay, while reviewing my logs I have discovered that far too many people end up coming to my site in search of actual information. Now, if you have spent any real time reading this blog you should know that it is mostly a massively self-serving waste of time; however, who am I to judge?

The topic of interest seems to be my namesake: How to Split an Atom. I was amazed at how many Google search results for permutations of that phrase end up pointing to my site (SEO professionals, my mailbox is open). Thus, I present you may valiant readers with what you have been waiting for — my guide to splitting the atom.

Our first step is to take a trip to Manhattan, and learn about a man named Fermi.

Fermi liked Physics. In fact, some might say he had a dangerous obsession with the itty, bitty particles that bind the universe together that we aptly call atoms.

Eventually, he finishes work on developing the atomic bomb which helps the United States win World War II. Most everyone was happy — except for maybe those people on the other side of the bomb.

So you want to know how Mr. Fermi accomplished this? Your next step should probably be to ask a scientist (more specifically, a physicist), since you may not know any personally I took the time to find someone who already did.

Question: How do you split an atom?
Mark s scheiber

One way is to strip off a bunch of its electrons with
light pulses or with charged plates…and then send
it to circulate through a curved magnetic field
(since the atom has lost some electrons, it is now
charged, and charged particles speed up when you
put them into a curved magnetic field). When you get
the atom going really really fast, change the field
and let the particle slam into a target. Sort of
like throwing an alarm clock against a wall really hard….
the atom smashes open and we see its “insides”
come screaming out (using a special detector).

This is called a “particle accelerator,” by the way.

“A particle what?” you may be asking. A particle accelerator makes small particles move very, very quickly. It’s kind of like the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) in your television, but much larger and incredibly expensive.

If this particle acceleration nonsense seems a little old fashioned to you; if you are the type of person who has been making your own fission reactions since you were four, you are ready to hear about the future. The future, as you may have conjectured, is lasers.

Well, that should whet your appetite — next time, I’ll hand over the reigns to the experts.

See Part Two for Video