Challenge; 18; Testing for Tomorrow
- Series
- Challenge
- Episode Number
- 18
- Episode
- Testing for Tomorrow
- Producing Organization
- Ross-McElroy Productions
- Contributing Organization
- Library of Congress (Washington, District of Columbia)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/512-1j9765b722
- NOLA Code
- CHAG
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- Description
- Episode Description
- Precision and perfection are the watchwords of todays Space and Atomic Age. Nothing can be overlooked everything must be checked and rechecked before the go signal can be given. A crack in a missiles fuel line, invisible to the human eye, can be disastrous. A defect in an atomic reactor, while not disastrous, can mean costly and time-consuming repairs. This program examines non-destructive testing, a new-comer, yet one of the most important engineering techniques. Non-destructive testing is simply a method of examining an object for defects without destroying it in the process. It is unlike other testing methods such as automobile test, for example, in which the vehicle is pushed to its maximum performance before it ends up on the junk pile. The television cameras are at the Metallurgy Division of the United States Atomic Energy Commissions Argonne National Laboratory, where scientists are using such non-destructive testing techniques as X-rays, gamma rays, and neutron radiography. At Argonne, neutron radiography is an invaluable aid to pinpoint what happens to uranium or plutonium fuel that sustains a chain reaction in an atomic reactor. The knowledge gained through this technique is important in designing the atomic power plants of today and tomorrow. Also shown are the ultrasonic testing methods used to detect imperfections by bouncing sound waves through objects that are being tested. One of these methods converts sound waves into electronic signals to show television pictures of hidden defects. The value of these non-destructive testing methods becomes increasingly more important as the tolerances become smaller and smaller for the new atomic reactors, space vehicles, and aircraft engines that are being constructed. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Series Description
- Since the dawn of the Atomic Age and now the Space Age the men responsible for Americas success are to be found in the laboratories across the nation. This series goes behind the scene at the United States Atomic Energy Commissions Argonne National Laboratory where the cameras record the work now being done by research scientists. Many of the episodes delve into the new man-made elements which only a few years ago did not exist, elements which will be used to boost American missiles into space in the future. One of these elements, plutonium, is expected to become as common as fuel as oil and coal. Television cameras also capture the work being carried out in other fields of nuclear research, such as non-destructive testing which is employed in checking nuclear reactors, and the study of inert gases which scientists have been able to combine with other elements which startling results. A separate episode reveals the work being done with algae cultivated in heavy water. From these experiments, scientists expect some day to find the clues to the process of life itself and a possible breakthrough in the treatment of cancer in humans. Host Norman Ross is a well-known Chicago television personality who has won three Emmys as the citys best television performer. He also writes a column three times a week for the Chicago Daily News. His work includes a nightly newscast with analytical commentary, a weekly conversation show called Off the Cuff, and various special programs in the fields of science, medicine, and public affairs. Challenge was produced for N.E.T. by Ross-McElroy Productions of Chicago. Challenge was produced under a grant from the U.S. Atomic Energy Commissions Argonne National Laboratories. The 22 half-hour episodes that comprise the series were originally recorded on videotape. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Broadcast Date
- 1964-00-00
- Asset type
- Episode
- Genres
- Documentary
- Topics
- Science
- Media type
- Moving Image
- Credits
-
-
Director: Braun, Clifford
Host: Ross, Norman
Producer: McElroy, David
Producing Organization: Ross-McElroy Productions
Writer: McElroy, David
Writer: Suchy, John
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive
Identifier: [request film based on title] (Indiana University)
Format: 16mm film
-
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2405419-1 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 2 inch videotape
Generation: Master
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- Citations
- Chicago: “Challenge; 18; Testing for Tomorrow,” 1964-00-00, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed July 1, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-1j9765b722.
- MLA: “Challenge; 18; Testing for Tomorrow.” 1964-00-00. Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. July 1, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-1j9765b722>.
- APA: Challenge; 18; Testing for Tomorrow. Boston, MA: Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-1j9765b722