The Development of the Ideas Needed to Create an Atomic Bomb Essay

The Development of the Ideas Needed to Create an Atomic Bomb I. Introduction Where did the atomic bomb come from? In this paper, I will look at the development of the ideas needed to create an atomic bomb. Specifically, what did scientists need to know for them to theorize that a cataclysmic explosion would result when a critical mass of certain elements undergo a chain reaction of nuclear fission. However, I will only look at scientific ideas generally, as they progressed towards fission. This development of ideas was propelled by genius, persistence and tenacity, coupled with flashes of insight into the nature of the universe. We see that this development is tied closely to the ability to free the teathers of erroneous paradigms and build better models of the universe in their place. We will be concerned, principally, with the development of physics. Einstein wrote the following on the definition of physics: "What we call physics comprises that group of natural sciences which base their concepts on measurements; and whose concepts and propositions lend themselves to mathematical formulation." (Weaver, 78) Although physics today is more focused, this is the basis of all science. One of the first groups of people to freely think about the universe and make an attempt to explain their world scientifically were the Greeks. II. The Greek Ideology The Greek's investigation of science demonstrate that their minds were on par with the best of this era, specifically Aristotle (384 - 322 B.C.), who formed many brilliant theories. He, along with others, put the theories into sophisticated form that created the basis of scientific thought for close to two millennia. In his universe were four "elements": Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. The Earth was the common center of all the solid materials and had a natural place as the center of the universe. If all the solid material sought a location as close to the center as possible, then the Earth had to be a sphere. He had likewise ordered the other "elements" into spheres. Water had its natural place on the surface of the sphere Earth. Air had its natural place on the surface of the sphere Water. Fire had its natural place outside the sphere of Air. Observations corresponded to this view of the universe. However, he performed no experiments. He stated that heavier objects would want to move faster tow... ...tion to the Atomic Age", (Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1991) Weart, Spencer R., "Nuclear Fear", (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Press, 1988) Weaver, Jefferson Hane, "The World of Physics", Vol 1 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bibliography Asimov, Issac, "The History of Physics", (New York: Walker and Company, 1983) Taylor, John R.; Zafiratos, Chris D.; "Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers", (Engelwood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1991) Sachs, Mendel, "Einstein Versus Bohr", (La Salle, Illinois: Open Court, 1988) Segre, Emilio, "From Falling Bodies to Radio Waves", (New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1984) Segre, Emilio, "From X-rays to Quarks", (New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1980) Stoff, Michael B.; Fanton, Jonathan F.; Willans, R.; "The Manhattan Project: A Documentary Introduction to the Atomic Age", (Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1991) Weart, Spencer R., "Nuclear Fear", (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Press, 1988) Weaver, Jefferson Hane, "The World of Physics", Vol 1 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987)