Atom Bomb's Effect on Humans, At Yucca Flat, Nevada, 1955, scientists used mannequins to evaluate the effects of an atomic bomb on the human body. In 1963, however, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, signed by the U.S., U.S.S.R., and most other nations, prohibited testing above ground, in water, and in space. Scientific and technological advancements played a key role in creating America's mid-century prosperity. Source: The Second Decade, 1946-1955 [Time, Inc.] (1984).