How Was the First Nuclear Reactor Developed? (Chicago Pile 1)

On 02 December 1942, the world changed forever when 50 scientists with several Nobel Prizes among them stood on a balcony over a cold and damp squash court inside an abandoned football stadium and watched the instruments record the first sustained nuclear chain reaction. The atomic age was born, and in less than three years from the experiment at the University of Chicago that generated less than a Watt of electricity, the first atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima, Japan, devastating the city.

In this video, we will look at the background and development of the Chicago Pile-1, the first nuclear reactor in history, including the roles played by Enrico Fermi and Leo Szilard, and even a cameo by Albert Einstein. Finally, we'll visit the location of the reactor's final resting place that you can visit in a Chicago nature preserve.