welcome
Live Science

Live Science

Science

Science

Why is it still so hard to make nuclear weapons?

Live Science
Summary
Nutrition label

74% Informative

The first nuclear weapon test, code-named " Trinity ," took place in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945 .

Nuclear weapon development remains a scientific and engineering challenge.

The fissile material inside a nuclear bomb is primarily isotopes of uranium and plutonium, which are radioactive elements.

The most challenging part of this process is the chemical transformation of the element itself.

This is part of the work done by the National Nuclear Security Administration .

The complexity and challenges of building these weapons may explain why so few nuclear superpowers exist in the world today .

Ultimately, the challenges of making these weapons explain why there are so few superpowers today .