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Scientists first learned of the tremendous energy bound in the nucleus of the atom during the early years of the century. In 1942 they succeeded in unleashing that energy on a large scale by means of what was called an atomic pile. This was the first nuclear fission reactor, a device designed to induce a self-sustaining and controlled series of fission reactions that split heavy nuclei to release their energy. It was built for the U.S. Manhattan Project undertaken to develop the atomic bomb. Shortly after World War II, reactors were built for submarine propulsion and for commercial power production. ...(100 of 8050 words)