The Chemistry Behind the Development of the Atomic Bomb

In 19 38, it was discovered that when nuclear particles called neutrons were fired at uranium atoms, they would split. This process of splitting uranium, or fision, did two things. First, it released huge amounts of energy, a billion times more than would be released in a normal chemical reaction. Secondly, the act of splitting atoms released two more neutrons. These new neutrons were freed to more uranium, creating four neutrons, which in turn were freed and created eight, then 16, and so on. The politics behind the development of the atomic bomb was no less complex than the science. Listen as professor frank clos takes up the story for bebese radio four programm