The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-08-11
New Discovery
By DR. FRANK THoNE written for NEA Service

Written For NEA Service
 Washington, Aug. II . Not even the sky will be the limit to the w0rld-shaking effects of atomic power, if science can harness this spectacular new discovery to peace time uses.
 If atomic power is technologi- cally manageable, if atoms of the more abundant elements( say sodium, or magnesium, or silicon) can be put in 8 sufficiently un- stable state for practical use, and if the economics of the whole pro- cedure can be kept right-side-up, then the world we live in will be a fantastic place indeed.
 You ca intake as many flights of fancy on your mental wings as you like. Here are just a few of the possibilities:
 Jet propulsion of aircraft, and of ships and land vehicles as well, could be enormously simplified. An atomic pet-engine might consists simply of casing with a "disinte- grator" suspended in it. On this, water might be permitted to drip. Split into oxygen and hydrogen, which would immediately unite as steam, this would provide a light power-source, costing almost noth- ing for fuel and nothing for lubri- cation.
 SPACE SHIPS POSSIBLE
 Or, If one of the abundant and cheap clements. like silicon from common sand, could be persuaded to split up and supply atomic power. docket-propelled space ships could soon become realities, even carrying human passengers, if hrady enough individuals could be found to man them-which would undoubtedly be easy enough.
 One or more of these jet or rocket units could be secured to ends of short crosspieces on a revolving shaft-and behold, you have sim pie but efficient reaction turbine, ready to run a big electric gener- ator or to turn directly all the wheels in . factory.
 Despite the warning in Presi- dent Truman's first announcement, in which he stated that applica- tion of atomic power to the tasks { of peace must await long course of research and development, spec ulation about it's postwar effects is inevitable.
 Will there be no further need for coal, or oil, or water power? Are stocks based on these com- modities and the utilities consum- ing them destined to hit bottom and never come up again? Will cheap power be so plentiful that even Hottentots can own whole batteries of milking machines? will atomic power, in short, bring on an earthly paradise after it has swiftly finished its present job of raising concentrated hell?
 No dogmatic, hard-and-fast an- GWers can be given as yet. We just haven't facts enough. The ques- tions have to be met with other questions. Here are two or three:
 How far are we from practical application of atomic power for purposes less violent. more con- trolled, than bombing? If it al- ways develops in such shattering, blasting outbursts it may take a long time to harness 1t.
 Remember, one of the first at- tenpts at an internal combustion engine was 8 Frenchman's irven- ton, in which gunpowder was to be the fuel. It was not successful. ATOMIC "FUEL"
 It has been suggested that the energy of atomic disintegration be used indirectly. to avoid this viol- ence of action. Minute quantities of an atomic "fuel" might be re- leased at time. in contact with water, to generate steam. That might work, or 1t might "crack' the water into hydrogen and oxy- gen, forming an explosive mixture. There,n be no way of knowing until it's tried. So we come back to the Presidents declaration that there will have to be 8 lot of research first.
 Is uranium, apparently the only clement used in the new bombs, ~