[ RadSafe ] Werner Heisenberg 1901-1976

[JPreisig at aol.com]

Dear Radsafe:
 
     From:    _jpreisig at aol.com_ (mailto:jpreisig at aol.com)     .
 
    Hey all,   (Radsafe Chemists, take  note???!!!)
 
         Here is a passage or two  from a book by Armin Hermann, entitled 
"Werner Heisenberg 1901-1976"
 
         For your  interest:  
 
                                      ....On August the 6th an atom bomb 
was exploded over Hiroshima.
         260,000 people died.
 
               The first news came on the radio at 6 in the evening,  Otto 
Hahn and Karl  Wirz had been in
         the office of the British  officer on duty when the announcement 
came.  They immediately went to
         the dining room where  their colleagues were sitting down for 
supper.  For a moment they all
         sat silent, appalled,  unbelieving, and then the words poured 
forth.  The British bugging experts  had 
         been waiting for  that.
 
                Hahn: If the Americans have a uranium bomb, then you're all 
second-raters.   Poor
              Heisenberg.
 
               Heisenberg: Did they use the word 'uranium' in connection 
with the atom  bomb?  
 
              Hahn:  No.
 
              Heisenberg: Then it doesn't involve atoms.  The equivalent of 
20,000 tons  of high explosive
             is  certainly enormous though... I can only think that some 
dilettante in America  knows that
              the bomb is equivalent to 20,000 tons of high explosive and 
in reality it  doesn't function at
              all.
 
              Hahn: Anyway, Heisenberg, you're second-rate and can pack 
your bags.
 
              Heisenberg:  I agree absolutely...I'm ready to believe that 
it's a high  pressure bomb.
             I  don't believe though that uranium is involved.  I think 
it's some chemical  substance with which
              they've enormously intensified the explosive force. 
(reference 188)
 
              188 Groves , op. cit., p. 329 f (see the book for more 
information).
 
 
               Hope you all can find this book somewhere.
 
 
               Regards,    Joseph R. (Joe) Preisig, PhD
 
PS    Fusion discovered 1932 by Oliphant...