AW: [ RadSafe ] From offtopic to an ontopic comment

[Franz Schönhofer]

Rick, 

can you give me some references? It seems to me very unlikely that anybody
could have speculated about a nuclear bomb and a chain reaction before not
only the uranium fission, but also the fact that neutrons were emitted in
this process, was discovered. Even more it seems unlikely that the potential
destruction was imagined. The latter postulate I simply take from the fact
that according to many sources the scientists of the Manhattan Project were
extremely surprised about the yield of the Trinity test. 

Talking about patents: Prof. Stetter from the Physical Institute of the
University of Vienna held a patent on a nuclear reactor for producing
energy. He was the first professor of physics, whose lectures I (had to)
attend(ed) when I started my study of chemistry. The only problem was that
this was granted by the German authorities, when Austria was occupied by
Germany, and with the entrance of the USA into war all German patents were
declared free for use by the anti-German-allies. What an opportunity he
missed. 

Waiting for your references

Best regards,

Franz

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
MinRat i.R.
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Wien/Vienna
AUSTRIA


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im Auftrag
von Strickert, Rick
Gesendet: Freitag, 30. Jänner 2009 18:59
An: radsafe at radlab.nl
Betreff: RE: [ RadSafe ] From offtopict to an ontopic comment


"I cannot imagine anything worse in destruction power, but who could have
thought in the thirties of the last century of the power of nuclear
weapons?"

Leo Szilard, for one, who in 1934 patented the concept of a bomb based on a
neutron-induced chain reaction releasing nuclear energy.  This was four
years before uranium fission was discovered.  


Rick Strickert
Austin, TX

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