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The Making of the Atomic Bomb: A Race Against Time and Conscience
The chilling flash of light over Hiroshima and Nagasaki forever etched the atomic bomb into human history. But the creation of these devastating weapons wasn't a sudden event; it was a complex, multi-faceted project born from the crucible of World War II, involving scientific breakthroughs, intense political maneuvering, and profound ethical dilemmas. This post delves into the fascinating and terrifying story of the Manhattan Project, exploring the scientific advancements, the key players, the immense logistical challenges, and the lasting legacy of this pivotal moment in human history. We'll unravel the intricacies of this pivotal period, examining its impact on the war and the world that followed.
The Scientific Genesis: From Theory to Reality
The theoretical groundwork for the atomic bomb was laid long before the war. Scientists like Albert Einstein, through his famous E=mc², provided the fundamental equation demonstrating the immense energy locked within the atom. However, translating this theoretical understanding into a tangible weapon required a monumental leap. The Manhattan Project, initiated in 1942, brought together the brightest scientific minds from across the globe, including leading physicists like Enrico Fermi, Robert Oppenheimer, and Leo Szilard.
The Race for Fission: Uranium and Plutonium
The project pursued two distinct paths to creating a nuclear weapon: uranium enrichment and plutonium production. Uranium enrichment involved separating the fissile isotope U-235 from the more abundant U-238. This process proved exceptionally challenging, demanding the construction of massive and sophisticated facilities at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Simultaneously, the project focused on producing plutonium, a synthetic element created through nuclear fission in reactors built at Hanford, Washington. Both processes required immense resources and technological innovation.
The Trinity Test: A Momentous Experiment
The culmination of years of research and development was the Trinity test, conducted on July 16, 1945, in the New Mexico desert. This was the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, a moment that forever altered the course of human history. The blinding flash and earth-shattering explosion validated the scientific theories and demonstrated the unimaginable destructive power of the bomb.
The Human Cost: Ethical Considerations and the Shadow of Decision
The Manhattan Project wasn't solely a scientific endeavor; it was profoundly shaped by the political and ethical realities of World War II. The looming threat of Nazi Germany acquiring nuclear weapons fueled the urgency of the project, but the potential for catastrophic consequences was also acutely understood by many involved.
The Moral Dilemma: Scientists and their Conscience
Many of the scientists involved grappled with the ethical implications of their work. While driven by the desire to prevent a Nazi victory, they also recognized the potential for horrific devastation. The debate over the use of the bomb continues to this day, highlighting the complex moral considerations that accompanied this technological achievement.
The Political Landscape: Decision-Making in Wartime
The decision to use the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was made by President Truman, weighing the potential loss of American lives in a planned invasion of Japan against the immediate devastation caused by the bombs. This decision, fraught with ethical ambiguities and strategic considerations, remains a subject of intense historical debate.
The Legacy of the Atomic Bomb: A World Transformed
The creation and use of atomic bombs irrevocably changed the world. The immediate devastation was immense, but the long-term consequences have been equally profound. The nuclear arms race that followed, the Cold War, and the ever-present threat of nuclear annihilation have shaped global politics and international relations for decades.
The Nuclear Age: A New Era of Warfare
The atomic bomb ushered in the nuclear age, altering the very nature of warfare and international relations. The potential for global annihilation forever changed the calculus of conflict, leading to a precarious balance of power and the ongoing pursuit of nuclear disarmament.
The Scientific and Technological Advancements: A Double-Edged Sword
The Manhattan Project spurred significant advancements in physics, engineering, and technology. However, these advancements were inextricably linked to the creation of a weapon of mass destruction, raising crucial questions about the responsible development and application of scientific knowledge.
Conclusion
The making of the atomic bomb was a momentous chapter in human history, a testament to scientific ingenuity and a stark reminder of the potential for human destruction. The Manhattan Project's legacy continues to resonate, prompting ongoing discussions about the ethical implications of scientific breakthroughs, the responsibilities of power, and the enduring quest for peace in a world forever altered by the atomic age.
FAQs
1. Who was the "father" of the atomic bomb? While many contributed, J. Robert Oppenheimer is often referred to as the "father" due to his leadership of the Los Alamos Laboratory, the site where the bomb was designed and built.
2. What were the immediate effects of the atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? The bombings caused immediate and widespread death and destruction, including massive casualties, widespread fires, and long-term health effects from radiation exposure.
3. How did the Manhattan Project contribute to post-war scientific advancements? The project spurred breakthroughs in nuclear physics, computing, and materials science, some of which had applications far beyond weaponry.
4. What is the ongoing debate surrounding the use of atomic bombs on Japan? The debate centers on whether the use of the bombs was militarily necessary to end the war or whether it constituted a war crime due to its immense civilian casualties.
5. What international efforts are in place to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons? Various international treaties and organizations, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), aim to limit the spread of nuclear weapons and promote disarmament.
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Making of the Atomic Bomb Richard Rhodes, 2012-09-18 **Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award** The definitive history of nuclear weapons—from the turn-of-the-century discovery of nuclear energy to J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project—this epic work details the science, the people, and the sociopolitical realities that led to the development of the atomic bomb. This sweeping account begins in the 19th century, with the discovery of nuclear fission, and continues to World War Two and the Americans’ race to beat Hitler’s Nazis. That competition launched the Manhattan Project and the nearly overnight construction of a vast military-industrial complex that culminated in the fateful dropping of the first bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Reading like a character-driven suspense novel, the book introduces the players in this saga of physics, politics, and human psychology—from FDR and Einstein to the visionary scientists who pioneered quantum theory and the application of thermonuclear fission, including Planck, Szilard, Bohr, Oppenheimer, Fermi, Teller, Meitner, von Neumann, and Lawrence. From nuclear power’s earliest foreshadowing in the work of H.G. Wells to the bright glare of Trinity at Alamogordo and the arms race of the Cold War, this dread invention forever changed the course of human history, and The Making of The Atomic Bomb provides a panoramic backdrop for that story. Richard Rhodes’s ability to craft compelling biographical portraits is matched only by his rigorous scholarship. Told in rich human, political, and scientific detail that any reader can follow, The Making of the Atomic Bomb is a thought-provoking and masterful work. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Genius in the Shadows William Lanouette, 2013-09-01 Well-known names such as Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Edward Teller are usually those that surround the creation of the atom bomb. One name that is rarely mentioned is Leo Szilard, known in scientific circles as “father of the atom bomb.” The man who first developed the idea of harnessing energy from nuclear chain reactions, he is curiously buried with barely a trace in the history of this well-known and controversial topic. Born in Hungary and educated in Berlin, he escaped Hitler’s Germany in 1933 and that first year developed his concept of nuclear chain reactions. In order to prevent Nazi scientists from stealing his ideas, he kept his theories secret, until he and Albert Einstein pressed the US government to research atomic reactions and designed the first nuclear reactor. Though he started his career out lobbying for civilian control of atomic energy, he concluded it with founding, in 1962, the first political action committee for arms control, the Council for a Livable World. Besides his career in atomic energy, he also studied biology and sparked ideas that won others the Nobel Prize. The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, where Szilard spent his final days, was developed from his concepts to blend science and social issues. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Dark Sun Richard Rhodes, 2012-09-18 Here, for the first time, in a brilliant, panoramic portrait by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb, is the definitive, often shocking story of the politics and the science behind the development of the hydrogen bomb and the birth of the Cold War. Based on secret files in the United States and the former Soviet Union, this monumental work of history discloses how and why the United States decided to create the bomb that would dominate world politics for more than forty years. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Manhattan Project Al Cimino, 2015-07-14 The ramifications of the Manhattan Project are still with us to this day. The atomic bombs that came out of it brought an end to the war in the Pacific, but at a heavy loss of life in Japan and the opening of a Pandora's box that has tested international relations. This book traces the history of the Manhattan Project, from the first glimmerings of the possibility of such a catastrophic weapon to the aftermath of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It profiles the architects of the bomb and how they tried to reconcile their personal feelings with their ambition as scientists. It looks at the role of the politicians and it includes first-hand accounts of those who experienced the effects of the bombings. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Manhattan Project: The Untold Story of the Making of the Atomic Bomb Stephane Groueff, 2023-12-13 “Groueff, a Paris-Match reporter, was sponsored by The Reader’s Digest to write this prodigious account of the multiple efforts which went into the creation of the first atomic bomb between 1942 and 1945. The book is a history of the men involved, mainly; and Groves, the military commander, is obviously the author’s hero. Reading like the account of a hurdle race, the book charges into a discussion of a problem, then ‘finds’ and describes the man who bested it. Thus are described the building of Oak Ridge, Fermi’s atomic pile, the electromagnetic process, the crises over the barrier and the valves for the gaseous diffusion process, the last-minute decisions concerning the implosion process with plutonium. Groueff does convey well a scene of fantastic activity, where different solutions to one problem were worked on simultaneously, where industrial equipment came before scientific results were known, where the ‘impossible’ was achieved — in time. The material is fascinating, and the scientific information is well presented... [an] excellent overall view of a monumental project.” — Kirkus “Groueff has for the first time given due recognition to some of the minor figures, particularly engineers and technicians, and has preserved in his pages much information that would otherwise perish with the participants or lie forever buried in the archives.” — Kendall Birr, The American Historical Review “Groueff... covers the Manhattan Project from its beginning in 1942 to the bombing of Hiroshima... [he] concentrates on the engineering and industrial effort that went into producing the first atomic weapons... The result is a popular but responsible account, episodic in structure, rich in detail and human interest... for the first time a book aimed at the mass market gives engineers and industrialists their due. It is a great story of the almost incredibly complex task of translating theory into industrial and military reality.” — Oscar E. Anderson, Jr., Science “So intriguing in fact and in style is the text of the narrative of this book that, once begun, it cannot be put down until the end... In these pages the names and roles of some of the world’s greatest scientists and engineers unfold in thrilling parade, with Dr. Vannevar Bush the leader. These men of vast knowledge and ability unite with the commercial managers and their companies mobilized by the hundreds for the construction and operation of the many facilities involved.” — Leo A. Codd, Ordnance “Excellent... maintains a high degree of exciting suspense.” — Washington Star “A fascinating account of a stupendous effort.” — Chicago Tribune |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Manhattan Project Francis George Gosling, 1999 A history of the origins and development of the American atomic bomb program during WWII. Begins with the scientific developments of the pre-war years. Details the role of the U.S. government in conducting a secret, nationwide enterprise that took science from the laboratory and into combat with an entirely new type of weapon. Concludes with a discussion of the immediate postwar period, the debate over the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, and the founding of the Atomic Energy Commission. Chapters: the Einstein letter; physics background, 1919-1939; early government support; the atomic bomb and American strategy; and the Manhattan district in peacetime. Illustrated. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Bomb (Graphic Novel) Steve Sheinkin, 2023-01-24 A riveting graphic novel adaptation of the award-winning nonfiction book, Bomb—the fascinating and frightening true story of the creation behind the most destructive force that birthed the arms race and the Cold War. In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned three continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists, led by father of the atomic bomb J. Robert Oppenheimer, was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb. New York Times bestselling author Steve Sheinkin's award-winning nonfiction book is now available reimagined in the graphic novel format. Full color illustrations from Nick Bertozzi are detailed and enriched with the nonfiction expertise Nick brings to the story as a beloved artist, comic book writer, and commercial illustrator who has written a couple of his own historical graphic novels, including Shackleton and Lewis & Clark. Accessible, gripping, and educational, this new edition of Bomb is perfect for young readers and adults alike. Praise for Bomb (2012): “This superb and exciting work of nonfiction would be a fine tonic for any jaded adolescent who thinks history is 'boring.' It's also an excellent primer for adult readers who may have forgotten, or never learned, the remarkable story of how nuclear weaponry was first imagined, invented and deployed—and of how an international arms race began well before there was such a thing as an atomic bomb.” —The Wall Street Journal “This is edge-of-the seat material that will resonate with YAs who clamor for true spy stories, and it will undoubtedly engross a cross-market audience of adults who dozed through the World War II unit in high school.” —The Bulletin (starred review) Also by Steve Sheinkin: Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War Born to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery Which Way to the Wild West?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About Westward Expansion King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution Two Miserable Presidents: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the Civil War |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Twilight of the Bombs Richard Rhodes, 2010-08-24 The culminating volume in Richard Rhodes’s monumental and prizewinning history of nuclear weapons, offering the first comprehensive narrative of the challenges faced in a post–Cold War age. The past twenty years have transformed our relationship with nuclear weapons drastically. With extraordinary depth of knowledge and understanding, Rhodes makes clear how the five original nuclear powers—Russia, Great Britain, France, China, and especially the United States—have struggled with new realities. He shows us how the stage was set for a second tragic war when Iraq secretly destroyed its nuclear infrastructure and reveals the real reasons George W. Bush chose to fight a second war in Iraq. We see how the efforts of U.S. weapons labs laid the groundwork for nuclear consolidation in the former Soviet Union, how and why South Africa secretly built and then destroyed a small nuclear arsenal, and how Jimmy Carter’s private diplomacy prevented another Korean War. We also see how the present day represents a nuclear turning point and what hope exists for our future. Rhodes assesses the emerging threat of nuclear terrorism and offers advice on how our complicated relationships with North Korea and South Asia should evolve. Finally, he imagines what a post-nuclear world might look like, suggesting what might make it possible. Powerful and persuasive, The Twilight of the Bombs is an essential work of contemporary history. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II Herbert Feis, 2015-03-08 This book discusses the decision to use the atomic bomb. Libraries and scholars will find it a necessary adjunct to their other studies by Pulitzer-Prize author Herbert Feis on World War II. Originally published in 1966. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Remembering the Manhattan Project Cynthia C. Kelly, 2005-01-27 During World War II, nations raced to construct the worldOCOs first nuclear weapon that would determine the future of the world. The Manhattan Project, one of the most significant achievements of the 20th century, was the culmination of AmericaOCOs war effort. Today, although the issue of nuclear weapons frequently dominates world politics, few are aware of the history behind its development. Part I of this book, comprised of papers from the Atomic Heritage FoundationOCOs Symposium on the Manhattan Project, recounts the history of this remarkable effort and reflects upon its legacy. Most of the original structures of the Manhattan Project have been inaccessible to the public and in recent years, have been stripped of their equipment and slated for demolition. Part II proposes a strategy for preserving these historical artifacts for the public and future generations. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Hiroshima John Hersey, 2019-06-05 Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author John Hersey's seminal work of narrative nonfiction which has defined the way we think about nuclear warfare. “One of the great classics of the war (The New Republic) that tells what happened in Hiroshima during World War II through the memories of the survivors of the first atomic bomb ever dropped on a city. The perspective [Hiroshima] offers from the bomb’s actual victims is the mandatory counterpart to any Oppenheimer viewing. —GQ Magazine “Nothing can be said about this book that can equal what the book has to say. It speaks for itself, and in an unforgettable way, for humanity.” —The New York Times Hiroshima is the story of six human beings who lived through the greatest single manmade disaster in history. John Hersey tells what these six -- a clerk, a widowed seamstress, a physician, a Methodist minister, a young surgeon, and a German Catholic priest -- were doing at 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, when Hiroshima was destroyed by the first atomic bomb ever dropped on a city. Then he follows the course of their lives hour by hour, day by day. The New Yorker of August 31, 1946, devoted all its space to this story. The immediate repercussions were vast: newspapers here and abroad reprinted it; during evening half-hours it was read over the network of the American Broadcasting Company; leading editorials were devoted to it in uncounted newspapers. Almost four decades after the original publication of this celebrated book John Hersey went back to Hiroshima in search of the people whose stories he had told. His account of what he discovered about them -- the variety of ways in which they responded to the past and went on with their lives -- is now the eloquent and moving final chapter of Hiroshima. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Atomic Salvation Tom Lewis, 2020-07-20 A thought-provoking analysis of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—and what might have happened if conventional weapons were used instead. It has always been a difficult concept to stomach—that the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, causing such horrific suffering and destruction, also brought about peace. Attitudes toward the event have changed through the years, from grateful relief that World War II was ended to widespread condemnation of the United States. Atomic Salvation investigates the full situation—examining documents from both Japanese and Allied sources, but also using in-depth analysis to extend beyond the mere recounting of statistics. It charts the full extent of the possible casualties on both sides had a conventional assault akin to D-Day gone ahead against Japan. The work is not concerned solely with the military necessity to use the bombs; it also investigates why that necessity has been increasingly challenged over the successive decades. Controversially, the book demonstrates that Japan would have suffered far greater casualties—likely around 28 million—if the nation had been attacked in the manner by which Germany was defeated: by amphibious assault, artillery and air attacks preceding infantry insertion, and finally by subduing the last of the defenders of the enemy capital. It also investigates the enormous political pressure placed on America as a result of their military situation. The Truman administration had little choice but to use the new weapon given the more than a million deaths that Allied forces would undoubtedly have suffered through conventional assault. By chartingreaction to the bombings over time, Atomic Salvation shows that there has been relentless pressure on the world to condemn what at the time was seen as the best, and only, military solution to end the conflict. Never has such an exhaustive analysis been made of the necessity behind bringing World War II to a halt. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Atomic Bomb: The Story of the Manhattan Project Bruce Cameron Reed, 2015-06-01 This volume, prepared by an acknowledged expert on the Manhattan Project, gives a concise, fast-paced account of all major aspects of the project at a level accessible to an undergraduate college or advanced high-school student familiar with some basic concepts of energy, atomic structure, and isotopes. The text describes the underlying scientific discoveries that made nuclear weapons possible, how the project was organized, the daunting challenges faced and overcome in obtaining fissile uranium and plutonium, and in designing workable bombs, the dramatic Trinity test carried out in the desert of southern New Mexico in July 1945, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Making of the Atomic Bomb Richard Rhodes, 1986 Details the making of the atomic bomb. Includes diagrams and pictures documenting people and places. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Prompt and Utter Destruction J. Samuel Walker, 2016 |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Making of the Indian Atomic Bomb Itty Abraham, 1998-09 In 1974 India exploded an atomic device. In May 1998 the new BJP Government exploded several more, encountering in the process domestic plaudits but international condemnation and a nuclear arms race in South Asia. This book is the first serious historical account of the development of nuclear power in India and of how the bomb came to be made. The author questions orthodox interpretations implying that it was a product of the Indo-Pakistani conflict. Instead, he suggests that the explosions had nothing to do with national security as conventionally understood. Instead he demonstrates the linkages that existed between the two apparently separate discourses of national security and national development, and explores their common underlying basis in postcolonial states. The result is a remarkable book that breaks new ground in integrating comparative politics, international relations and cultural studies. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos Dennis Overbye, 2021-12-21 Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award: the intensely exciting story of a group of brilliant scientists who set out to answer the deepest questions about the origin of the universe and changed the course of physics and astronomy forever (Newsday). In southern California, nearly a half century ago, a small band of researchers — equipped with a new 200-inch telescope and a faith born of scientific optimism — embarked on the greatest intellectual adventure in the history of humankind: the search for the origin and fate of the universe. Their quest would eventually engulf all of physics and astronomy, leading not only to the discovery of quasars, black holes, and shadow matter but also to fame, controversy, and Nobel Prizes. Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos tells the story of the men and women who have taken eternity on their shoulders and stormed nature in search of answers to the deepest questions we know to ask. Written with such wit and verve that it is hard not to zip through in one sitting. —Washington Post |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Making of the Atom Bomb Victoria Sherrow, 2000 Discusses various topics connected to the production of the atom bomb, including the development of nuclear energy, work on atomic weapons at the Los Alamos and other sites, and the decision to use the first atomic bomb during World War II. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Manhattan Project Cynthia C. Kelly, 2020-07-07 On the seventy-fifth anniversary of the first atomic bomb, discover new reflections on the Manhattan Project from President Barack Obama, hibakusha (survivors), and the modern-day mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The creation of the atomic bomb during World War II, codenamed the Manhattan Project, was one of the most significant and clandestine scientific undertakings of the 20th century. It forever changed the nature of war and cast a shadow over civilization. Born out of a small research program that began in 1939, the Manhattan Project would eventually employ nearly 600,000 people and cost about $2 billon ($28.5 billion in 2020) -- all while operating under a shroud of complete secrecy. On the 75th anniversary of this profoundly crucial moment in history, this newest edition of The Manhattan Project is updated with writings and reflections from the past decade and a half. This groundbreaking collection of essays, articles, documents, and excerpts from histories, biographies, plays, novels, letters, and oral histories remains the most comprehensive collection of primary source material of the atomic bomb. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Building The H Bomb: A Personal History Kenneth W Ford, 2015-03-25 In this engaging scientific memoir, Kenneth Ford recounts the time when, in his mid-twenties, he was a member of the team that designed and built the first hydrogen bomb. He worked with — and relaxed with — scientific giants of that time such as Edward Teller, Enrico Fermi, Stan Ulam, John von Neumann, and John Wheeler, and here offers illuminating insights into the personalities, the strengths, and the quirks of these men. Well known for his ability to explain physics to nonspecialists, Ford also brings to life the physics of fission and fusion and provides a brief history of nuclear science from the discovery of radioactivity in 1896 to the ten-megaton explosion of “Mike” that obliterated a Pacific Island in 1952.Ford worked at both Los Alamos and Princeton's Project Matterhorn, and brings out Matterhorn's major, but previously unheralded contribution to the development of the H bomb. Outside the lab, he drove a battered Chevrolet around New Mexico, a bantam motorcycle across the country, and a British roadster around New Jersey. Part of the charm of Ford's book is the way in which he leavens his well-researched descriptions of the scientific work with brief tales of his life away from weapons. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Restricted Data Alex Wellerstein, 2021-04-09 Nuclear weapons, since their conception, have been the subject of secrecy. In the months after the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the American scientific establishment, the American government, and the American public all wrestled with what was called the problem of secrecy, wondering not only whether secrecy was appropriate and effective as a means of controlling this new technology but also whether it was compatible with the country's core values. Out of a messy context of propaganda, confusion, spy scares, and the grave counsel of competing groups of scientists, what historian Alex Wellerstein calls a new regime of secrecy was put into place. It was unlike any other previous or since. Nuclear secrets were given their own unique legal designation in American law (restricted data), one that operates differently than all other forms of national security classification and exists to this day. Drawing on massive amounts of declassified files, including records released by the government for the first time at the author's request, Restricted Data is a narrative account of nuclear secrecy and the tensions and uncertainty that built as the Cold War continued. In the US, both science and democracy are pitted against nuclear secrecy, and this makes its history uniquely compelling and timely-- |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Apocalypse Factory: Plutonium and the Making of the Atomic Age Steve Olson, 2020-07-28 A thrilling narrative of scientific triumph, decades of secrecy, and the unimaginable destruction wrought by the creation of the atomic bomb. It began with plutonium, the first element ever manufactured in quantity by humans. Fearing that the Germans would be the first to weaponize the atom, the United States marshaled brilliant minds and seemingly inexhaustible bodies to find a way to create a nuclear chain reaction of inconceivable explosive power. In a matter of months, the Hanford nuclear facility was built to produce and weaponize the enigmatic and deadly new material that would fuel atomic bombs. In the desert of eastern Washington State, far from prying eyes, scientists Glenn Seaborg, Enrico Fermi, and many thousands of others—the physicists, engineers, laborers, and support staff at the facility—manufactured plutonium for the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, and for the bombs in the current American nuclear arsenal, enabling the construction of weapons with the potential to end human civilization. With his characteristic blend of scientific clarity and storytelling, Steve Olson asks why Hanford has been largely overlooked in histories of the Manhattan Project and the Cold War. Olson, who grew up just twenty miles from Hanford’s B Reactor, recounts how a small Washington town played host to some of the most influential scientists and engineers in American history as they sought to create the substance at the core of the most destructive weapons ever created. The Apocalypse Factory offers a new generation this dramatic story of human achievement and, ultimately, of lethal hubris. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Arsenals of Folly Richard Rhodes, 2009 This is the riveting secret history of the post-war nuclear arms race and the end of the Cold War, by the Pulitzer-winning author of 'The Making of the Atomic Bomb'. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Bomb Howard Zinn, 2010-08-01 As a World War II combat soldier, Howard Zinn took part in the aerial bombing of Royan, France. Two decades later, he was invited to visit Hiroshima and meet survivors of the atomic attack. In this short and powerful book, Zinn offers his deep personal reflections and political analysis of these events, their consequences, and the profound influence they had in transforming him from an order-taking combat soldier to one of our greatest anti-authoritarian, antiwar historians. This book was finalized just prior to Zinn's passing in January 2010, and is published on the sixty-fifth anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. Simultaneous publication this August in the U.S. and Japan commemorates the 65th anniversary of the USA's two atomic bombings of Japan by calling for the abolition of all nuclear weapons and an end to war as an acceptable solution to human conflict. Zinn writes with an enthusiasm rarely encountered in the leaden prose of academic history …—New York Times Book Review This collection of essays is a great book for anybody who wants to be better informed about history, regardless of their political point of view.—O, The Oprah Magazine Zinn collects here almost three dozen brief, passionate essays … Readers seeking to break out of their ideological comfort zones will find much to ponder here.—Publishers Weekly A bomb is highly impersonal. The dropper can kill hundreds, and never see any of them. The Bomb is the memoir of Howard Zinn, a bomber in World War II who dropped bombs along the French countryside while campaigning against Germany. After learning of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Zinn now speaks out against the use of bombs and what it can do to warfare. Thoughtful and full of stories of an old soldier who regrets what he has done, The Bomb is a fine posthumous release that shares much of the lost wisdom of World War II.—James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review Throughout his academic career, his popular writings and work as an activist Zinn consistently, and often successfully, threw a wrench in the works of the US war machine. He may be gone, but through his powerful and passionate body of work—of which The Bomb is an excellent introduction—thousands of others will be educated and inspired to work for a more humane and peaceful world.—Ian Sinclair, Morning Star The path that Howard Zinn walked—from bombardier to activist—gives hope that each of us can move from clinical detachment to ardent commitment, from violence to nonviolence.—Frida Berrigan, WIN Magazine Howard Zinn (1922 –2010) was raised in a working-class family in Brooklyn, and flew bombing missions for the United States in World War II, an experience he now points to in shaping his opposition to war. Under the GI Bill he went to college and received his Ph.D. from Columbia University. In 1956, he became a professor at Spelman College in Atlanta, a school for black women, where he soon became involved in the civil rights movement, which he participated in as an adviser to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and chronicled, in his book SNCC: The New Abolitionists. Zinn collaborated with historian Staughton Lynd and mentored a young student named Alice Walker. When he was fired in 1963 for insubordination related to his protest work, he moved to Boston University, where he became a leading critic of the Vietnam War. In his liftetime, Zinn received the Thomas Merton Award, the Eugene V. Debs Award, the Upton Sinclair Award, and the Lannan Literary Award. He is perhaps best known for A People's History of the United States. City Lights Booksellers and Publishers previously published his essay collection A Power Governments Cannot Suppress. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Hell and Good Company Richard Rhodes, 2015-02-03 Celebrated historian Richard Rhodes explores the Spanish Civil War through the stories of the reporters, writers, artists and doctorswho witnessed it The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) engaged an extraordinary number of exceptional artists and writers: Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Martha Gellhorn, Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, John Dos Passos, to name only a few. The idealism of the cause - defending democracy from fascism at a time when Europe was darkening toward another world war - and the brutality of the conflict drew from them some of their best work: Guernica, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Homage to Catalonia. Paralleling the outpouring of writing and art, the war spurred breakthroughs in military and medical technology. So many different countries participated directly or indirectly in the war that Time magazine called it the 'Little World War'; Spain served in those years as a proving ground for the devastating technologies of World War II, and for the entire 20th century. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Fallout Peter Watson, 2018-09-20 Between December 1943 and August 1944, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill ignited the Cold War, a superpower rivalry that would dominate the world over half a century, by building an atomic bomb and excluding their Russian allies. Peter Watson tells the pulse-pounding story of how two atomic physicists tried to counter this in two very different ways. While Niels Bohr sought to convince President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill to share their nuclear knowledge with Joseph Stalin, nuclear scientist Klaus Fuchs, a German Communist emigre to Britain, was leaking atomic secrets to the Soviets in a rival attempt to ensure parity between the superpowers. Neither succeeded in preventing the World War II allies from unleashing the atom bomb on the world. Fallout proves that the atomic bomb was not needed, and was made as a result of a series of flawed decisions. The Americans did not tell the UK that the atomic research was compromised by Soviet spies; the British did not tell the Americans that in 1943 they knew for sure that Germany did not have a nuclear bomb program. Neither country admitted to the scientists developing the bomb that it would never be used to counter the (non-existent) German nuclear threat. Had the scientists known, many of them would have refused to complete work on the bomb. This story shows how politicians fatally failed to understand the nature of atomic science and, in so doing, exposed the world needlessly to great danger, a danger that is still very much with us. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Children of Atomic Bomb Survivors National Research Council, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Commission on Life Sciences, 1991-02-01 Do persons exposed to radiation suffer genetic effects that threaten their yet-to-be-born children? Researchers are concluding that the genetic risks of radiation are less than previously thought. This finding is explored in this volume about the children of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasakiâ€the population that can provide the greatest insight into this critical issue. Assembled here for the first time are papers representing more than 40 years of research. These documents reveal key results related to radiation's effects on pregnancy termination, sex ratio, congenital defects, and early mortality of children. Edited by two of the principal architects of the studies, J. V. Neel and W. J. Schull, the volume also offers an important comparison with studies of the genetic effects of radiation on mice. The wealth of technical details will be immediately useful to geneticists and other specialists. Policymakers will be interested in the overall conclusions and discussion of future studies. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Girls of Atomic City Denise Kiernan, 2014-03-11 This is the story of the young women of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, who unwittingly played a crucial role in one of the most significant moments in U.S. history. The Tennessee town of Oak Ridge was created from scratch in 1942. One of the Manhattan Project's secret cities. All knew something big was happening at Oak Ridge, but few could piece together the true nature of their work until the bomb Little Boy was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, and the secret was out. The reverberations from their work there, work they did not fully understand at the time, are still being felt today. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Pandora's Keepers Brian Van DeMark, 2003-06-01 There Were Nine of Them: men with the names Oppenheimer, Teller, Fermi, Bohr, Lawrence, Bethe, Rabi, Szilard, and Compton-brilliant men who believed in science and who saw before anyone else did the awesome workings of an invisible world. They came from many places, some fleeing Nazism in Europe, others quietly slipping out of university teaching jobs, all gathering in secret wartime laboratories to create the world's first atomic bomb. At one such place hidden away in the mountains of northern New Mexico-Los Alamos-they would crack the secret of the nuclear chain reaction and construct a device that incinerated a city and melted its victims so thoroughly that the only thing left was their scorched outlines on the sidewalks. During the war, few of the atomic scientists questioned the wisdom of their desperate endeavor. But afterward, they were forced to deal with the sobering legacy of their creation. Some were haunted by the dead of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and would become anti-nuclear weapons activists; others would go on to build bigger and even deadlier bombs. Some would remain friends; others would become bitter rivals and enemies. In explaining their lives and their struggles, Brian VanDeMark superbly illuminates the ways in which these brilliant and sensitive men came to terms with their horrific creation. The result is spectacular history and a moral investigation of the highest order. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki Masahiro Sasaki, Sue DiCicco, 2020-04-07 ING_08 Review quote |
| the making of the atomic bomb: The Bastard Brigade Sam Kean, 2019-07-18 Scientists have always kept secrets. But rarely in history have scientific secrets been as vital as they were during World War II. In the midst of planning the Manhattan Project, the U.S. Office of Strategic Services created a secret offshoot - the Alsos Mission - meant to gather intelligence on and sabotage if necessary, scientific research by the Axis powers. What resulted was a plot worthy of the finest thriller, full of spies, sabotage, and murder. At its heart was the 'Lightning A' team, a group of intrepid soldiers, scientists, and spies - and even a famed baseball player - who were given almost free rein to get themselves embedded within the German scientific community to stop the most terrifying threat of the war: Hitler acquiring an atomic bomb of his very own. While the Manhattan Project and other feats of scientific genius continue to inspire us today, few people know about the international intrigue and double-dealing that accompanied those breakthroughs. Bastard Brigade recounts this forgotten history, fusing a non-fiction spy thriller with some of the most incredible scientific ventures of all time. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Atomic Habits (Tamil) James Clear, 2023-07-14 நீங்கள் உங்கள் வாழ்க்கையை மாற்ற விரும்பினால், நீங்கள் பிரம்மாண்டமாக சிந்திக்க வேண்டும் என்று மக்கள் நினைக்கின்றனர். ஆனால், பழக்கங்களைப் பற்றி விரிவாக ஆய்வு செய்து அதில் உலகப் புகழ்பெற்ற நிபுணர்களில் ஒருவராகத் திகழுகின்ற ஜேம்ஸ் கிளியர் அதற்கு வேறொரு வழியைக் கண்டுபிடித்துள்ளார். தினமும் காலையில் ஐந்து நிமிடங்கள் முன்னதாகவே எழுந்திருத்தல், ஒரு பதினைந்து நிமிடங்கள் மெதுவோட்டத்தில் ஈடுபடுதல், கூடுதலாக ஒரு பக்கம் படித்தல் போன்ற நூற்றுக்கணக்கான சிறிய தீர்மானங்களின் கூட்டு விளைவிலிருந்துதான் உண்மையான மாற்றம் வருகிறது என்று அவர் கூறுகிறார்.<br>இந்தக் கடுகளவு மாற்றங்கள் எப்படி உங்கள் வாழ்க்கையைப் பெரிதும் மாற்றக்கூடிய விளைவுகளாக உருவெடுக்கின்றன என்பதை ஜேம்ஸ் இப்புத்தகத்தில் தெளிவாக வெளிப்படுத்துகிறார். அதற்கு அறிவியற்பூர்வமான விளக்கங்களையும் அவர் கொடுக்கிறார். ஒலிம்பிக்கில் தங்கப் பதக்கம் வென்றவர்கள், முன்னணி நிறுவனத் தலைவர்கள், புகழ்பெற்ற அறிவியலறிஞர்கள் ஆகியோரைப் பற்றிய உத்வேகமூட்டும் கதைகளைப் பயன்படுத்தி அவர் தன்னுடைய கோட்பாடுகளை விளக்கும் விதம் சுவாரசியமூட்டுவதாக இருக்கிறது.<br>இச்சிறு மாற்றங்கள் உங்கள் தொழில்வாழ்க்கையின்மீதும் உங்கள் உறவுகளின்மீதும் உங்கள் தனிப்பட்ட வாழ்வின்மீதும் அளப்பரிய தாக்கம் ஏற்படுத்தி அவற்றைப் பரிபூரணமாக மாற்றும் என்பது உறுதி. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Australia's Bid for the Atomic Bomb Wayne Reynolds, 2000 Examination of the effects of Australia's post-World War II bid to help develop nuclear weapons in conjunction with the UK. Demonstrates that this failed endeavour shaped both foreign and domestic policy until the end of the 1950s. Focuses on the crucial role of nuclear weapons in the strategies of successive Australian governments. Provides a new perspective for historical issues such as the American alliance, the security crisis and the Petrov affair, the Cold War and the Maralinga tests. Includes notes, select bibliography and index. Author is a senior lecturer in the history department at the University of Newcastle. Previous titles is 'Doc Evatt'. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Atomic Accidents James Maheffey, 2021-08-31 From the moment radiation was discovered in the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters. Mahaffey, a long-time advocate of continued nuclear research and nuclear energy, looks at each incident in turn and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong when analyzing past meltdowns.Every incident has lead to new facets in understanding about the mighty atom—and Mahaffey puts forth what the future should be for this final frontier of science that still holds so much promise. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: U.S. History P. Scott Corbett, Volker Janssen, John M. Lund, Todd Pfannestiel, Sylvie Waskiewicz, Paul Vickery, 2024-09-10 U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Atomic Jim Baggott, 2015-07-02 Spanning ten historic years, from the discovery of nuclear fission in 1939 to ‘Joe-1’, the first Soviet atomic bomb test in August 1949, Atomic is the first fully realised popular account of the race between Nazi Germany, Britain, America and the Soviet Union to build atomic weapons. Rich in personality, action, confrontation and deception, Jim Baggott’s book tells an epic story of science and technology at the very limits of human understanding. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Stalin and the Bomb David Holloway, 2008-10-01 The classic and “utterly engrossing” study of Stalin’s pursuit of a nuclear bomb during the Cold War by the renowned political scientist and historian (Foreign Affairs). For forty years the U.S.-Russian nuclear arms race dominated world politics, yet the Soviet nuclear establishment was shrouded in secrecy. Then, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, David Holloway pulled back the Iron Curtain with his “marvelous, groundbreaking study” Stalin and the Bomb (The New Yorker). How did the Soviet Union build its atomic and hydrogen bombs? What role did espionage play? How did the American atomic monopoly affect Stalin's foreign policy? What was the relationship between Soviet nuclear scientists and the country's political leaders? David Holloway answers these questions by tracing the dramatic story of Soviet nuclear policy from developments in physics in the 1920s to the testing of the hydrogen bomb and the emergence of nuclear deterrence in the mid-1950s. This magisterial history throws light on Soviet policy at the height of the Cold War, illuminates a central element of the Stalinist system, and puts into perspective the tragic legacy of this program―environmental damage, a vast network of institutes and factories, and a huge stockpile of unwanted weapons. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Red Cloud at Dawn Michael D. Gordin, 2009-09-29 A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE Following the trail of espionage and technological innovation, and making use of newly opened archives, Michael D. Gordin provides a new understanding of the origins of the nuclear arms race and fresh insight into the problem of proliferation. On August 29, 1949, the first Soviet test bomb, dubbed First Lightning, exploded in the deserts of Kazakhstan. This surprising international event marked the beginning of an arms race that would ultimately lead to nuclear proliferation beyond the two superpowers of the Soviet Union and the United States. With the use of newly opened archives, Michael D. Gordin follows a trail of espionage, secrecy, deception, political brinksmanship, and technical innovation to provide a fresh understanding of the nuclear arms race. |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Atomic Tragedy Sean L. Malloy, 2008 |
| the making of the atomic bomb: Death, Society and Human Experience (1-download) Robert Kastenbaum, 2015-07-22 Providing an understanding of the relationship with death, both as an individual and as a member of society. This book is intended to contribute to your understanding of your relationship with death, both as an individual and as a member of society. Kastenbaum shows how individual and societal attitudes influence both how and when we die and how we live and deal with the knowledge of death and loss. Robert Kastenbaum is a renowned scholar who developed one of the world's first death education courses and introduced the first text for this market. This landmark text draws on contributions from the social and behavioral sciences as well as the humanities, such as history, religion, philosophy, literature, and the arts, to provide thorough coverage of understanding death and the dying process. Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers should be able to: -Understand the relationship with death, both as an individual and as a member of society -See how social forces and events affect the length of our lives, how we grieve, and how we die -Learn how dying people are perceived and treated in our society and what can be done to provide the best possible care -Master an understanding of continuing developments and challenges to hospice (palliative care). -Understand what is becoming of faith and doubt about an afterlife |
The Making of the Atomic Bomb: 25th Anniversary Edition
Jun 12, 2012 · The definitive history of nuclear weapons—from the turn-of-the-century discovery of nuclear energy to J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project—this epic work details the science, the people, and the sociopolitical realities that led to …
The Making of the Atomic Bomb - Wikipedia
The Making of the Atomic Bomb is a history book written by the American journalist and historian Richard Rhodes, first published by Simon & Schuster in 1987. The book won multiple awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
"Destroyer of Worlds": The Making of an Atomic Bomb
At 5:29 a.m. (MST) on July 16, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb detonated in the New Mexican desert, releasing a level of destructive power unknown in the existence of humanity.
Manhattan Project | Definition, Scientists, Timeline, Locations, …
2 days ago · Manhattan Project, U.S. government research project (1942–45) that produced the first atomic bombs. The project’s name was derived from its initial location at Columbia University, where much of the early research was done. The first bomb was exploded in a test at Alamogordo air base in southern New Mexico on July 16, 1945.
Atomic Bomb: Nuclear Bomb, Hiroshima & Nagasaki ‑ HISTORY
On July 16, 1945, in a remote desert location near Alamogordo, New Mexico, the first atomic bomb was successfully detonated—the Trinity Test. It created an enormous mushroom cloud some 40,000...
The Making of the Atomic Bomb - Richard Rhodes - Google Books
The definitive history of nuclear weapons—from the turn-of-the-century discovery of nuclear energy to J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project—this epic work details the science, the people,...
The Making of the Atomic Bomb - Richard Rhodes - Google Books
Here for the first time, in rich, human, political, and scientific detail, is the complete story of how the bomb was developed, from the turn-of-the-century discovery of the vast energy locked...
Manhattan Project - Wikipedia
Research and production took place at more than 30 sites across the US, the UK, and Canada. The project resulted in two types of atomic bombs, developed concurrently during the war: a relatively simple gun-type fission weapon and a more complex implosion-type nuclear weapon.
Atomic bomb | History, Properties, Proliferation, & Facts | Britannica
Oct 30, 2024 · Atomic bomb, weapon with great explosive power that results from splitting the nuclei of a heavy metal such as plutonium or uranium.
Science Behind the Atom Bomb - Nuclear Museum
The immense destructive power of atomic weapons derives from a sudden release of energy produced by splitting the nuclei of the fissile elements making up the bombs’ core. The U.S. developed two types of atomic bombs during the Second World War.
UimBA’mmml - Department of Energy
“The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb” is a short history of the origins and develop-ment of the American atomic bomb program during World War H. Beginning with the scientific develop …
The Atomic Bomb - Harry S. Truman Presidential Library …
had a secret weapon called the atomic bomb, a bomb that causes a very large, devastating nuclear explosion. Harry commanded the American military to use the atomic bomb, hoping to force …
UimBA’mmml - Department of Energy
“The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb” is a short history of the origins and develop-ment of the American atomic bomb program during World War H. Beginning with the scientific develop …
Above and Below the Mushroom Cloud: Perspectiv…
justifications for dropping the atomic bombs and, through atomic bomb survivors’ stories, perspectives of everyday Japanese citizens’ encounters with total war. For high school students,
Debating the Atomic Bomb Lesson Plan - U.S. National P…
Ask the students if they are leaning towards the claim that the atomic bombs were necessary and have them stand on one side of the room. Ask the students if they are leaning towards the claim that …
The Nuclear Bomb and How It Changed The World - City of S…
The goal of this paper is to demonstrate how the atomic bomb was a major turning point that affected military and political policies of all nations by introducing ... In 1938, Germany was …
The Most Controversial Decision - Cambridge Univers…
the atomic bomb was not necessary to either end the Pacific War or to save American lives. The predictable public outrage apparently caught ... effort to understand Truman’sdecision making …
THE DAY MAN LOST HIROSHIMA - Association for …
Richard Rhodes’ The Making of the Atomic Bomb includes only three illustrations from atomic/nuclear physics: the periodic table, a diagram of energy relationships between orbiting electrons and the …
Course Description General Education Objectives and Lea…
The Making of the Atomic Bomb is a contemporary history book which won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. It describes the personalities of the scientists who discovered the reactions …
SCIENTISTS AND POLITICIANS: THE USE OF THE ATOMIC BO…
THE USE OF THE ATOMIC BOMB RE-EXAMINED A World Destroyed: The Atomic Bomb and the Grand Alliance , by Martin J. Sherwin (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1975), xvi + 315 pp., $10. The end of the …
Nuclear fears, hopes and realities in Pakistan - Prince…
decision-making about the bomb. We outline some of the main hopes invested in the bomb by Pakistan’s elite, and suggest why they have not been fulfilled. We then highlight some of the current …
Decision To Use The Atomic Bomb And The Architecture …
Atomic Bomb And The Architecture Of … WEBbook, "The Decision To Use The Atomic Bomb," which discusses the use of the atomic bomb against Japan toward the end of World War II. Offers Gar …
The Japanese Bomb Projects and the Surrender Decision
the war on 8 August, the atomic bomb was one of the "twin shocks" that finally compelled Emperor Hirohito to make the decision to surrender.1 The real "shock" of Hiroshima, however, was not the …
The Physics of Nuclear Weapons - Stanford Universit…
The atomic bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were fission weapons. The nuclei of atoms ... U-238 is the most common isotope of uranium, making up 99.3% of naturally occurring uranium. …
The Trolley Problem and the Dropping of Atomic Bombs
He thinks that an atomic bomb gives an effective shock to his enemy. He writes: Such an effective shock would save many times the number of lives, both Americans and Japanese, that it would cost.3 This …
MAKING THE BOMB - JSTOR
MAKING THE BOMB Pakistan 's Nuclear Journey by Shehzad H. Qazi Feroz H. Khan, Eating Grass : The Making of the Pakistani Bomb Stanford: Stanford UP, 2012 Developed in secrecy and tested in …
President Truman decides to use the atom bomb - James …
Truman’s early presidency and how and when he was informed of the atomic bomb. For a closer look at the key scientists behind the Manhattan Project and the bomb’s effects on Japan, see …
WWII Atomic Bomb Lesson Plan - teachtnhistory.org
1. Do Now: Write down everything you know about the dropping of the atomic bomb at the end of WWII. Elicit student responses. Today’s question: How should we remember the dropping of the …
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB IN TH…
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB IN THE USSR ULRICH ALBRECHT Freie Universitiit Berlin Introduction The story of the generation of the first atomic weapon in the USSR can be …
On the History and Technology of the Atomic Bomb. The
bomb to the present day. in this sense the content of the paper may appear as a nov-elty within the history of science and technology; even if it cannot be a unique story. Keywords Atomic bomb · soddy · …
History of the Atomic Bomb - University of Texas at Austin
Books: Richard Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, John Hersey, Hiroshima, Michael J. Hogan (ed.), Hiroshima in History and Memory, Herbert York, The Advisors: Oppenheimer, Teller, and the …
Review of The Most Controversial Decision: Trum…
that the use of the atomic bomb to end the war with Japan was unneeded from a military point of view, unlike what is commonly believed by the public. Rather, Takaki argues, Truman’s decision ...
The Manhattan Project - OSTI.GOV
The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb Volume II: Building the Nuclear Arsenal: Cold War Nuclear Weapons Development and Production, 1946-1989 (in progress) ... atomic …
The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb - Archive.org
THEATOMICBOMB 497 Thisspecialcommittee,knownastheInterimCommittee,played avitalroleinthedecisiontousethebomb.SecretaryStimsonwas chairman,andGeorgeL.Harrt.son ...
The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A S…
Albert Einstein’s letter to suggest making atomic bombs earlier than the Nazis. The nuclear weapons were made by the knowledge of a group of eminent nuclear physicists, including winners of the …
Truman's Atomic Bomb Decision. An Attack on Japan'…
desperate race with Hitler's Germany for the bomb. Roosevelt and his aids felt that the A-bomb was a legitimate weapon that would be used against Nazi Germany.12 So America made the A-bomb out of …
Marshall, Truman, and the Decision to Drop the Bomb
The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1966), pp. 10-11. International Security, Winter 1991/92 (Vol. 16, No. 3) 1991 by the President …
The Atomic Bomb - Association for Asian Studies
atomic bomb would serve as the diplomatic hammer to ensure that Anglo-American global political objectives would not be seriously challenged by Joseph Stalin’s desire for hegemony over …
The July 1945 Szilard Petition on the Atomic Bomb Memoi…
(New Mexico) on July 16, 1945, many scientists of the Manhattan (Atomic Bomb) Project were very concerned about how nuclear bombs might be used in World War II. Meetings were held at …
Writing, Righting, or Wronging the Historical Record: Presid…
Truman Library. The Making of the Atomic Bomb was criticized sharply, partly for its naïve use of sources, in Barton J. Bernstein, "An Analysis of 'Two Cultures': Writing about the Making and the …
New Mexico Historical Review - University of New M…
The Making of the Atomic Bomb,s. are con cerned primarily with well-knownpeople and events; the same is true. Kathleen E. B. Manley grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico. She holds a doctorate …
The Making Of The Atomic Bomb - resources.caih.jhu.edu
the New Mexico desert UimBA’mmml - OSTI.GOV “The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb” is a short history of the origins and develop-ment of the American atomic bomb program during World …
The Making Of The Atomic Bomb RM Cervero [PDF] reso…
The Making of the Atomic Bomb IDH 2930 Section 3128 … The Making of the Atomic Bomb is a contemporary history book which won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. It describes the …
The Shock of First Lightning - JSTOR
world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, a second atomic bomb demolished Nagasaki, hastening the end of World War II. Then, four ... informed of all developments in the …
Nagasaki Peace Declaration
People making atomic bombs! Rest from your work for a while and close your eyes. It was on August 9, 1945! An atomic bomb that you had made Claimed tens of thousands of precious lives and …
Gita And Oppenheimer - Internet Archive
The Making of the Atomic Bomb, and Walter A. McDougall’s . . . The Heavens and the Earth* and it has provided the titles for at least two books, an article, and a documen¬ tary video.5 As early …
The Making Of The Atomic Bomb - resources.caih.jhu.edu
The Making Of The Atomic Bomb Bruce Cameron Reed The Making of the Atomic Bomb Richard Rhodes,2012-09-18 **Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National …
History of the Atomic Bomb - University of Texas at Austin
History of the Atomic Bomb Prof. Bruce J. Hunt HIS 329P — 39790 GAR 2.106 232–6109 Spring 2014 — MWF 10–11 M 12:30–2:30, W 1:00–2:00 ... Richard Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic …
The making of the atom bomb - Nature
The making of the atom bomb Rudolf Peier/s ... ground for work on an atomic bomb. Although some details have of course changed since the primer was written, most of it could still serve as a …
History of the Atomic Bomb - University of Texas at Austin
Books: Richard Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, John Hersey, Hiroshima, Michael J. Hogan (ed.), Hiroshima in History and Memory, Herbert York, The Advisors: Oppenheimer, Teller, and the …
Building the Bomb: The Army and the Manhattan Project …
Vincent C. Jones. Manhattan: The Army and the Atomic Bomb. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, United States Army, 1985. xx + 660 pp. Illustrations, tables, charts, maps, appendix, and …
THE RACE TO BUILD THE ATOMIC BOMB - Missouri Un…
Race to Build the Atomic Bomb J. David Rogers 4 Harold Urey (1893-1981) James Chadwick (1891 1974) Irene and Frederick Joliot Curie 1932 – Harold Urey of Columbia University discovers the …
Chapter 7 The Decision to Drop the Bomb O - University of H…
The Decision to Drop the Bomb n December 6, 1941 President Franklin Roosevelt met with a small group of scientists to convey an earth-shattering decision. He told them to proceed with …
'A Most Deadly Illusion': The Atomic Secret and American …
the atomic bomb in the Cold War is Gar Alperovitz, Atomic Diplomacy: Hiroshima and Potsdam (New York, 1965). One reason for the previous neglect of the subject by historians was the …
Making (Common) Sense of the Bomb in the First Nucle…
of the Bomb. Clerics, for example, were not invited to be a part of the nuclear priesthood, so religious discourse entered mainly after the fact. Anarchists were not consulted in the construction …
THE ATOMIC BOMB AS HISTORY: AN ESSAY REVIEW
Aerial view of Hiroshima, minutes after the first atomic bomb in history was detonated on August 6, 1945. Out of the city's population of 343,969, 78,150 ... policy-making circles. Their careers …
Atomic Energy for Military Purposes - MIT OpenCourse…
Atomic Energy for Military Purposes The Official Report on the Development of the Atomic Bomb Under the Auspices of the United States Government (The Smyth Report) By Henry De Wolf Smyth …
Making Of The Atomic Bomb Richard Rhodes
4 Making Of The Atomic Bomb Richard Rhodes Published at www.eidunwrapped.org.uk race, and the ongoing debate about nuclear proliferation. Publisher and Editor: …
Richard Rhodes - International Atomic Energy Agency
The author of twenty-seven books including 'The Making of the Atomic Bomb', which won a Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction, Mr Rhodes also received a National Book Award and a National …
