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A truck driver uncovers secrets about the first nuclear bombs

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Re: A truck driver uncovers secrets about the first nuclear bombs

#5

If you don't like nagging subscription popups, here is a popup-free summary of the truck driver's story: https://www.atomicheritage.org/profile/john-coster-mullen

A fairly lengthy interview transcript here: https://www.manhattanprojectvoices.org/oral-histories/john-c...

Re: A truck driver uncovers secrets about the first nuclear bombs

#7
The "simplicity of the Bomb" phrase reminded me of the story of the Demon Core:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_core

For me, it shows how hard it is to internalize dangers of a technology one is working with daily. How hard it is to trade convenience for security.

Re: A truck driver uncovers secrets about the first nuclear bombs

#10
post #9

>> Fat Man used explosives to squeeze together two hemispheres of plutonium. I thought the plutonium core was one piece and the explosives compressed it, making the same mass critical due to increased density.

The plutonium cores were machined as hemispheres because they had to put an initiator in the center.
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