Universal Encyclopedia
What was the atomic bomb?
In 1945, physicists handed humanity the power of gods — and its own extinction. The atomic bomb: discovery, makers, deterrence, and the race to contain it.
Last updated: October 2026
On July 16, 1945, the New Mexico desert flashed with a light no living thing had ever seen — a second sun, man-made, brighter than a thousand noon-times. The atomic bomb is the only discovery in this series humanity might wish unmade: the power of gods, delivered on schedule, aimed — within weeks — at cities.