Today the kids and I had a fun day hanging out with TC and the kids doing things around Santa Fe.
We drove to Los Alamos and went to the Bradbury Science Museum. This is where the birth of the atomic bomb that was later dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII was built and tested.
After hearing that 2 German scientists reported the discovery of uranium fission in early 1939, a Hungarian born physicist, Leo Szilárd, living in the U.S. drafted a letter to President Roosevelt warning the President about the possibility of Germany developing a nuclear bomb and that the U.S. should begin its own nuclear project. To make a larger impact, Szilárd, had contacted Albert Einstein and Einstein signed the letter to the President on August 2, 1939. Hence, the Manhattan Project was born.
Today Los Alamos still attracts top scientists from around the world. The main objectives now are to monitor stockpiles of uranium, test the age of the materials, look at the composition of weapons as they age, and keep an experienced workforce intact. (if needed in the future…even though the U.S. is attempting to enact “denuclearization”) At the height of the Cold War, it is said that there were over 70,000 nuclear weapons. We have now reduced the stockpile by 90%.
Part of Bandelier National Monument is the Tsankawi site, home of ancient Puebloans community from the 15th century.
Pretty sure the kids had the most fun towards the end of the day when we went to the trampoline park, Gravity Park.
Edwin and I went out last night so tonight we watched the kids while TC and Chris went out and grabbed some dinner.