Dr Faustus of Modern Physics - Department of Speech, Music and ...

190 CHAPTER 41. ATOMIC BOMB: EINSTEIN + BOHR
U-235 comprised less than 1% of uranium and was so difficult to separate, that a
bomb could not be made in the near future.
Bohr joined the Manhattan project in Dec 1943 under the code name Nicholas
Baker and played an important role as the knowledgeable “father” of the project.
Bohr played down his role by:
• They didn’t need my help in making the atom bomb.
During World War II Bohr did not argue against using the atomic bomb,
focussing instead on international control and scientific openness. But after the
atomic bomb was used on Japan Bohr told friends: The frightening thing was...
that it was not necessary at all. Bohr continued to work for international control
of nuclear weapons until his death in 1962.
Figure 41.1: The mushroom cloud of the atomic bomb over Nagasaki Aug 9
1945 11.02 am.