How to Build a Nuclear Reactor, Vintage 1941
The British government was given documents in 1941 describing how to build a nuclear reactor.
And they sat on them.
Until Thursday, May 31.
The Manhattan Project scientists had a plutonium bomb design ready in 1944 and had to wait for a specialized weapons-production reactor to be completed in order to actually build it. If they had known the plutonium was going to be available before 1945, they could have started work on the implosion mechanism--the most difficult part--and had it ready by mid-1943.
I'm sure the families of every person killed on both sides in 1944 and 1945 will say, "Thanks, guys."
More from We Support Lee.
And they sat on them.
Until Thursday, May 31.
The Manhattan Project scientists had a plutonium bomb design ready in 1944 and had to wait for a specialized weapons-production reactor to be completed in order to actually build it. If they had known the plutonium was going to be available before 1945, they could have started work on the implosion mechanism--the most difficult part--and had it ready by mid-1943.
I'm sure the families of every person killed on both sides in 1944 and 1945 will say, "Thanks, guys."
More from We Support Lee.
Labels: Proliferation
posted by Stewart Peterson at
12:50 PM
2 Comments:
It was not just the British govt. but the American govt. which also dragged its feet for two years after Einstein wrote his letter to FDR.
By
Nuclear Dreams, at Tue Nov 27, 10:02:00 AM CST
I wonder what kind of difference this would have made to the public perception of nuclear weapons.
I suspect that against Germany, nuclear weapons would have been used in a tactical role rather than as anti-civilian weapons.
While the Japanese were fanatical, they had no desire to see Japan utterly destroyed if victory was impossible. The Nazi leaders however were extreme Social Darwinists who believed that if the German people lost the war they deserved to be exterminated anyway.
This means that the Japanese regime could be terrorized into submission, while the Nazi regime had to be physically removed from power by the Allies.
By
George Carty, at Sat Jun 28, 05:05:00 AM CDT
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