|
well, the quote is not directly about this issue, but I am reading
Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929 - 194
, by David M. Kennedy.
In the chapter that deals with the making of the atom bomb, he discusses the reasons that many physicists thought that it would be impossible to constuct a nuclear device. Many felt, for instance, that the amount of material that would be necessary to reach critical mass (and a bunch of othe physicist type stuff which I don't pretend to understand) would be too large to construct a practical weapon:
"...early estimates of the critical mas necessary to sustain a nuclear chain reaction ran to many tons, far to big and unweildy a radioactive lump for a practical, deliverable weapon, with the possible but highly implausible exception of a device that could be carried into an enemy port aboard a ship."(emphasis my own)
chalk this up there with "nobody ever thought they would use planes..."
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
