A Report from Energy Ant — My Trip to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque, New Mexico

I spent two weeks with teachers from across the country, on a number of field trips, learning about energy. So I got to see so much (from an ant's-eye view, of course). Here’s a short note about my trip to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque.

This national museum has great exhibits about the United States' use of nuclear energy for all kinds of things. The museum guides take you on a tour that goes from the development of nuclear weapons to today's use of nuclear power—that is, power released from the nucleus of an atom for many uses. These uses range from generating electricity for heating and cooling our homes, to making our lamps and home computers work, and many more. In the United States and around the world, new uses of nuclear energy include using this energy for nuclear medicine (to diagnose and treat diseases) and for civil engineering (to create devices that test bridges for structural integrity). In fact, harnessing the power of the atom was one of the biggest discoveries of the past 100 years!

The teachers that came here with me really enjoyed the museum. Also on the museum grounds (located next to the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque) is the nine-acre Heritage Park. This park features planes, rockets, missiles, cannons and nuclear sub sail, and includes rocket-powered aircrafts designed to carry and employ nuclear weapons. One example is the B-29, which delivered the first atomic bomb. In fact, it is no surprise the museum is in New Mexico. This state is also the home of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where the United States developed the first nuclear weapon.

Make the museum a stop on your next vacation!