65th Anniversary of the Manhatten Project Test

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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Yesterday was the 65th anniversary of the first atomic bomb detonation. The nuclear age began and changed the world as we know it forever. Less than three years after the project’s start, the world’s first atomic bomb was detonated on Alamogordo Air Base in New Mexico. I somehow think that given the same parameters today, the task couldn’t be completed in that time span.

Roosevelt did not want to risk a German monopoly on such a weapon and approved uranium research in October 1939. This decision was the first among many that culminated in the Manhattan Project, America’s top-secret project to develop the atomic bomb. According to Time magazine, the project “had top priority on materiél and Army specialists. But few, if any, of the 65,000 who at one time worked on materials, handled blueprints, and expedited the job, ever knew what ‘Manhattan Project’ was.”
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The Manhattan wasn't and couldn't be completed without the research done by the Nazi scientists that would have developed the bomb if Hitler hadn't invaded Russia and overextended his military
 
As ungodly the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings were, more people died in the fire bombing raids of Tokyo and other Japanese city's, not to mention the horrific slaughter "Operation Coronet" would have caused if we would have invaded japan. One day mankind might achieve civilization if we are lucky, chances are we will bomb our selves back to the stone age.
 
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Behold the wonders that man can create! I'm sure glad that Hitler was crazy, and we developed the bomb first. I'm sure England is glad as well!
 
'We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.' - J. Robert Oppenheimer
'Now we're all sons of bitches.' - Kenneth Bainbridge, Test Director.
Just thought I'd leave those two out there, didn't think the anniversary was so soon.
 
the bomb kept the major nations from fighting each other directly and ushered a relatively peace that lasted long enough for globalization and extensive international trade to occur so that nations have less and less incentive to kill each other. The bomb is a terrifying blessing for humanity
 
I guess we did learn to stop worrying and to love the bomb more or less...

seriously though. I agree that the development of the bomb has worked well as a deterrent. The real concerns today however would come from rogue states and entities that will not exercise constraint like that of established nation-states over the bomb.
 
Reading about the details of this project is as intriguing as the space missions. While the actual outcome was fascinating, learning what it took to get there is just as fascinating.

I can't imagine the decisions and fears these people had going forward with something so incredible.

Also incredible factoid....over 1000 nuclear devices have been detonated since the begining. Despite only most poeple knowing about the 2 high profile ones.

The government even had a secret city (Oak Ridge) of 75,000 people.

Americans can do so much when we choose to ignore the monetary costs.
 
The fact that TWO bombs types (gun-type and implosion type) were "tested" I still find incredibly disconcerting.
 
I've still got Grandpa's certificate for being one of the warehouse managers. Dad grew up there, and had a bunch of fun stories about the times there.
 
The Manhattan Project was only top secret to the citizens of the USA. The KGB had spies from the get go throughout the various sites that worked on the bomb, from uranium enrichment to building the bomb in Los Alamos. The Soviets were not surprised about the bombs over Japan. They were however scared of becoming the next targets.
 
overclock said:
....They were however scared of becoming the next targets.
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They should have been. Patton was right...we only got lucky we never had WWIII with the Soviets. Our nuclear arsenal kept the much larger Soviet Army in check in those scary years just after WWII ended.
 
Monkey God said:
They should have been. Patton was right...we only got lucky we never had WWIII with the Soviets. Our nuclear arsenal kept the much larger Soviet Army in check in those scary years just after WWII ended.
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The funny thing is... we actually only had two bombs, and we had already used them.

I remember reading an essay a few months ago, and was surprised to read that the main reason both sides never went to war is because it was estimated at the time that it would only take (IIRC) 17 days before we had completely decimated each others' military forces.

There was no "win" scenario for either side. Just a very quick, pointless war, with extremely heavy casualties for both.
 
And think, those bombs were about 1000x less powerful than our largest deliverable bombs today. We stopped developing ever larger bombs because there were no targets big enough for them.
 
Monkey God said:
They should have been. Patton was right...we only got lucky we never had WWIII with the Soviets. Our nuclear arsenal kept the much larger Soviet Army in check in those scary years just after WWII ended.
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lol what would they have done, marched their army through the Bering Strait to attack the US?
immediately after the war they didnt have much of a navy to do anything to the US

and I thought its pretty clear that post Cold War info has revealed that much of the USSR's perceived military power was somewhat based on grandstanding on concepts without the ability to have them widely deployed
 
eon said:
lol what would they have done, marched their army through the Bering Strait to attack the US?
immediately after the war they didnt have much of a navy to do anything to the US

and I thought its pretty clear that post Cold War info has revealed that much of the USSR's perceived military power was somewhat based on grandstanding on concepts without the ability to have them widely deployed
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No they would have overrun Western Europe.
 
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