UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION "GUARDIAN OF THE ATOM" ATOMIC ENERGY 82494

The “Guardian of the Atom” is a 1960s color film sponsored by the United States Atomic Energy Commission, which was created in 1946 after WWII to foster the peacetime development of atomic science and technology. [It was forcibly dissolved in 1975 by the US Congress for improper conduct and was replaced by the US Department of Energy.] This film begins in the Colorado Plateaus, where scientists use equipment to locate and test raw uranium ore (0:09-1:09). Scientists separate U-235 from crude ore, the fissile form of uranium, into a bright green salt and then process it into metal slugs for use in a power plant (1:10-2:05). A technician uses a remote control to process radioactive isotopes (2:06-2:21). Radioactive ore is processed in various ways (2:22-2:43). The Germantown, Maryland headquarters of Atomic Energy Commission is shown (2:52-3:54). Aerial shots of nuclear research facilities Brookhaven National Lab, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lawrence Radiation Laboratory are shown (3:55-4:29). Uranium ore is drilled, carried by conveyor belt, fired, mixed, scraped, refined, and enriched (4:44-6:24). Areas of the outside and inside of nuclear reactor testing facilities are shown (6:25-7:00). Workmen within a plutonium production plant work in a control room, and stages of plutonium production are shown, including irradiated slugs being fished out of underwater basins (7:01-7:33). Nuclear weapons go through safety testing (7:34-8:50). Footage of a 100 kiloton nuclear weapon test denoting underground is shown from multiple angles, with the dessert doming upward 290’ and creating a crater more than 1200’ across (8:50-10:04). Miniature models and blueprints of experimental power plants are shown, discussed, and brought to public hearings (10:05-10:37). Various phases of constructing a nuclear power plant are shown, including fueling the reactor with a crane (10:38-12:21). Reactor operators work with control panels (12:22-12:51). Various nuclear power plants and electricity distribution centers are shown (12:52-13:35). A prototype model of nuclear seawater to freshwater plant is shown (13:36-13:52). Nobel Prize winner Glenn T. Seaborg, who discovered plutonium, is shown discussing nuclear power reactors (13:53-15:32). Aerial shots of nuclear powered submarines and combat ships are shown, as is the commercial nuclear-powered ship Savannah (15:33-16:21). A rocket engineering control room and experimental nuclear rocket engine is shown (16:22-17:12). A glowing blue reactor produces radioactive isotopes, and technicians fish the isotopes out of tanks, process them, and ship them in boxes (17:13-18:40). An early radioactive tracer machine is used on a patient (18:41-19:10). A variety of uses for radioactive isotopes include irradiating flies, isotopic gauges in manufacturing, radiated “pastured” fruits for human consumption, merging plastics with woods, and for powering weather stations, lighthouses, offshore oil gas platforms, rockets, and satellites (19:20-23:03). Scientists work with Atom Smashers at national laboratories, utilizing a bubble chamber, a linear accelerator, and a variety of other unnamed nuclear research equipment (23:04-26:19). Members of the public watch technical demonstrations of nuclear science, including a young woman using robotic controlled arms (26:20-27:00). Scientists perform various experiments and study forms of nuclear science (27:43-28:34).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFi...

[@normkirk65]

This is an awesome documentary ! Thank you !

[@otisobl]

Who wudda thunk that the women in this video later gave birth to two headed children and thus died of leukemia.

[@stigmatizedminstrel1837]

Thanks

[@motorhead6763]

Nice I am a former AEC worker and a EEOICA victim. I am still pro Nuclear . Today a new push is on to build new ones like AP1000 Westinghouse

[@wayneyadams]

I remember seeing those old films in school. I swear it seems like the same guy narrated everyone one of them.

[@P-G-77]

Unfortunately, there are still people who on the one hand are asking for cheap electricity and a drop in CO / 2 emissions ... there is only one possibility, the atom.

[@rokie007]

Unfortunately almost 30 Years were lost due some poor decisions done in USA in late 60s, made the industry change to military like compact high-pressure reactors:-( Instead of further development of low-pressure salt-breading and/or add. thorium cycle reactors. But this is since beg. of this century pushed and first reactor(s) are in construction in China (actually the further development of testing done at small reactor by very skilled engineers at Oak-Ridge National Laboratory). but again USA and France is short behind with resurrection the original ideas. I hope our plant in Czech republic will be converted in future as well. As we are small country but we have cleaver scientist, since end of 90s our laboratories are cooperating with both parties on practical experiments w. salts for new reactors:-)

[@serbiangamer]

What happend to this future ? In my country, Serbia , there is not a single reactor of this kind, thus no free new energy. We still need to pay enormous electrical bills with outdated electrical grid. Also , in the way its presented here in this video, reactors looks like they are harmfull and and present no danger, but we now all know about chernobil and fukushima and who knows how many others around the world over the past 6 decades. Was this all propaganda or they were unaware of the consenquences this reactors couls bring if they malefunction.

[@RinksRides]

Ahahahaha😂 that background music is hilarious AF!

[@rmd9746]

it's actually really chill and relaxing makiny you more prone to enjoy the scientific facts

[@BingleMcPingle]

The music playing in the background would be more appropriate for a sushi restaurant, but this is an interesting documentary nevertheless.

[@3rdeyekweenmaat899]

😂😂😂😂good point

[@tjlovesrachel]

It’s the 60s man …come on

[@3rdeyekweenmaat899]

❤

[@ticklemetango]

I call them spicy canals

[@michaelcaprio5269]

3:54 Brookhaven National Laboratory

[@LordZontar]

Imagine the things that are possible when smart people run the world...

[@wayneyadams]

9:50 Can you imagine the stupidity of these people proposing the use of nuclear explosives for everyday excavation work! We do thas kind of thing with every new discovery, without consdering the consequences.

[@goldendreams3437]

I believe in the atom, it'll be powerful and useful in the right hands