ATOM RESEARCH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 212, 23 June 1950, Page 3

ATOM RESEARCH

WORK OF BRITISH \ SCIENTISTS

JOURNALISTS SEE HARWELL STATION

(N.Z.P.A.— Copyright) (Rec. 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, June 22. After four years of intensive back-room pioneering work, scientists in Britain’s £50,000,000 sterling atom research station at Harwell have come to grips with the problems of harnessing atomic energy to the needs of industry. For the first time to-day, evidence was available of the strides made in this field when nearly 100 journalists were shown over Harwell Station. Laid out on drawing boards were plans for power units which may revolutionise the history of travel in less than 10 years. These plans include tentative diagrams for ships’ engines and power stations. It is more than likely that within the next decade the prototype of a new trans-Atlantic liner will be put into service and powered by a huge leaden-cased power unit generating nuclear energy. Scientists see a great future for atomic energy in marine propulsion because the. size of the plant will not be so great a factor there as in land transport. . A plant capable of propelling a big ship would weigh 1000 tons—equivalent to enough fuel td run a similarsized ship for less than two days. Experiments have not yet given scientists any hope that atomic energy can be developed towards propelling cars, trains or aeroplanes because of the weight problem.