Nuclear physics: A simple exploration of a complex world

Have you ever wondered in your entire life about what everything is made of? Sure, that chair you are sitting on now, the cup you are using to drink, and your laptop you are staring into are made from atoms. Atoms, which are the most tiny particles in the world, are the primary and essential aspect of life. They can be found in plants, animals, and even in our bodies. Therefore, they are ubiquitous. The atom is as tiny as a coin compared to the Earth! But wait, there is more!

The brief definition of nuclear physics refers to a practice of studying atoms. Inside the atom resides a much smaller particle called the nucleus. The nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons: protons yield positive charges while neutrons hold a neutral one. Along with the nucleus and atom, another guest lives with the other two particles: the electron. The electron has a negative charge. It always accompanies the nucleus and atom while doing the loop-the-loop as if simply a dog going crazy in a park. Thanks to nuclear physics, we can deduce and visualise a vast collection of diverse atoms. Why do we need to have knowledge in nuclear physics?

Nuclear physics is important and must be handled carefully like trying to stop a little whinging baby crying with only a half-filled bottle of milk. The same is for the process of harnessing energy from a nuclear reactor. Yes… Nuclear physics can generate energy. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to maintain its steady rate of energy. By now, you are probably wondering about how energy can be formed from nuclear physics. If you are, then today is your lucky day! Energy is created when unstable atoms such as uranium crash into each other releasing energy and radiation. This method is called the fission reaction. However, it is unable to make up for the risk. Thus, scientists are currently developing an alternative to our ordinary reactors.

Nuclear energy is defined as one of the safest, cleanest and renewable energy sources in contemporary society. However, even though this is partially true, the majority is actually false. Occasional disasters occur when a reactor’s technology becomes outdated and suffers a meltdown. Likewise, radioactive contamination eventuates, leading to radiation poisoning of human beings and other living creatures nearby. This was demonstrated at the infamous Chernobyl disaster, when the reactor’s technology should have been replaced. Another concern of nuclear energy is weaponizing. Back in World War II, the Americans dropped 2 atomic bombs on two Japanese cities resulting in countless deaths.

It is clear from the above examples, this enormous power can be misused by any country, government, and individual against the whole world. Be that as it may, nuclear energy, unlike fossil fuels, is carbon-free. Nuclear energy is also cost-effective compared to other renewable energy sources such as hydro, solar, and wind farms as nuclear reactors only take up a small area while others guzzle up massive acres of land. Even though nuclear energy yields both pros and cons, I still believe that nuclear energy will be the essence of mitigating the climate crisis.

At the end of the day, nuclear energy has been a golden opportunity to tackle the climate crisis. Nonetheless, our modern nuclear reactors have gotten exponentially riskier; this is why scientists are currently experimenting with a new type of nuclear energy: fusion. Fusion initiates when two hydrogen atoms fused together releasing chunks of energy but little radiation. This occurs in the core of stars. While this method is considered cleaner, the technology will be in reach in approximately 30 years or so, although some scientists claim that this technology is around the corner. I do wish that fusion energy will be our savior from climate change.