Science : The Cyclotron

By no means was the primary purpose of The Golden Gate International Exposition to showcase advances in science. The expo was far more concerned with creating a reason and venue for people from around the world to come together and celebrate diverse cultures and backgrounds. Nonetheless, the exposition highlighted a few scientific achievements.

The headlining act in the realm of science was the University of California’s miniature cyclotron. Cal invested $300,000 total in putting together their science exhibition and they built a 225-ton Berkley engine model for the Golden Gate International Expo.

This cyclotron model afforded visitors the opportunity to smash atoms with the touch of a button. Pressing the button released an electrical impulse that set a number of small spheres in motion in the circular imitation vacuum chamber. These spheres surfaced in order to release a shower of other atomic particles from an elemental target. This model clearly displayed the bombardment that occurs in the real cyclotron. In the actual engine, such a collision is detected and analyzed in order for scientists to better understand the particles that comprise the atom and the forces that hold them together.

The actual atom smashing cyclotron developed by the University of California was likely a contributing factor in developing the technology that led to the creation of the atomic bomb that the United States dropped five years later at the end of World War II. In this vein, it is almost a bit ironic that the main event at the science exhibition at this International Exposition later led to much conflict.

James, Jack, and Earle Weller. Treasure Island : "The Magic City". San Francisco, CA: Pisani Printing and Publishing Company, 1941. Print.