The Most Insane Megaproject You Never Heard About (Level 1)

In the 1960s, the United States had a crazy idea. Scientists wanted to use nuclear bombs to build things. This was called Project Plowshare. A famous scientist named Edward Teller led the project. He helped make the first nuclear bombs. Now, he wanted to use them to make new rivers, harbors, and roads. The government thought this was a cheap and fast way to build. They planned to use bombs to make a new Panama Canal. But there was a big problem. Nuclear bombs create dangerous radiation. The US tested this idea in the desert. They exploded bombs underground to make giant holes. However, the explosions sent dangerous radioactive clouds into the air. The radiation even got into milk. Finally, in 1977, the government stopped the project. They never built a canal or a harbor with nuclear bombs. Today, we know it was a very bad idea.