When we think of nuclear physics, we often think of the fraught issues of nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons. However, nuclear physics has many other practical applications, including in the fields of nuclear medicine, materials engineering, and geology and archaeology. The history of nuclear physics is full of fascinating figures–Rutherford, Geiger, Bohr, Einstein, Oppenheimer–and highly dramatic experiments, triumphs, and utter tragedies. Capturing both the promise and the peril of this most fascinating science with compelling, comprehensible text and full-color photos and explanatory visual aids, this volume introduces readers to the most transformative science of the modern era.