The Atom Goes to College
Nuclear Engineering, Teaching Reactors, and the Atomic Age
$114.16
- Paperback
256 pages
- Release Date
15 December 2026
Summary
The little-known history of nuclear reactors in American life, and the role of public colleges in the Atomic Age.
In The Atom Goes to College, David Munns explores the creation and forgotten prominence of “teaching reactors”—nuclear reactors dedicated to education during the golden age of American atomic ambitions. From the 1950s to the 1970s, a generation took the science of the atom and made it into the engineering of the reactor. Across two dozen teaching reactors in colle…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780262053709 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0262053705 |
| Author: | David P.D. Munns |
| Publisher: | MIT Press Ltd |
| Imprint: | MIT Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 256 |
| Release Date: | 15 December 2026 |
| Weight: | 369g |
| Dimensions: | 152mm x 229mm |
| Series: | Engineering Studies |
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Critics Review
ENDORSEMENTS
“Munns masterfully demonstrates that understanding the Atomic Age requires looking past the glitz and glamour of nuclear weapons to the underappreciated role of nuclear engineers, and those who trained them.”
—Joseph D. Martin, Professor of the History of Science and Technology, Durham University; author of Solid State Insurrection
“David Munns offers a meticulously grounded look at the practical side of ‘Atoms for Peace,’ a critical link between the Cold War academy and its numerous overseas partners, including Iran, India, and South Korea. Essential reading for anyone interested in nuclear history.”
—John P. DiMoia, Professor of Korean History, Seoul National University; author of Reconstructing Bodies
David P.D. Munns
David P. D. Munns is Professor of the History of Science and Technology at John Jay College, CUNY. He is the author (with Karin Nickelsen) of Far Beyond the Moon, Engineering the Environment, and A Single Sky (MIT Press).
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