For many of us, the toys of our childhood leave indelible marks on our consciousness, affecting our long-term perceptions and attitudes about certain things. Hot Wheels may inspire a lifelong fascination with fast, flashy automobiles, while Barbies might shape ideas about beauty and self-image. For the generation who grew up during the Atomic Age-the post-World War Ⅱ era from roughly the mid-1940s to the early 1960s-the toys, games, and entertainment of their childhoods might have included things like atomic pistols, atomic trains, rings with tiny amounts of radioactive elements, and comic books, puzzles, and music about nuclear weapons. This was an era when many Americans first became fascinated by the new phenomena of nuclear science and atomic bombs. Nuclear playthings may have inspired interest in nuclear science careers for some kids and fears of atomic Armageddon in others. They were likely both a reflection of-and an influence on-cultural attitudes among Americans.
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