The 20th century brought us the birth of the atomic age, with Albert Einstein’s understanding that E = MC2 in 1905, Ernest Rutherford’s theory of the structure of the atom in 1911, and the first sustained nuclear reaction in Chicago in 1942. While it brought the promise of a robust use of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes, it also brought the reality of nuclear weapons in 1945. Those initial weapons were large, heavy, and complex to make and use. Moreover, only nations had nuclear weapons, not individuals or groups. Since then, nuclear weapons technology has continued to advance, producing smaller, lighter, and more potent weapons. In addition to that.
