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Flight From Berlin Shapes His Fate
- Leo Szilard fled Berlin as the Nazis rose and arrived in London with only what he carried.
- His exile set the stage for the discovery that later drove the race to the atomic bomb.
Neutron Discovery Unlocks New Thinking
- The 1932 discovery of the neutron revealed the nucleus's true structure and new possibilities.
- That opened a path to consider releasing vast energy bound in atomic nuclei.
Rutherford's 'Moonshine' Remark
- Szilard reads Ernest Rutherford dismiss atomic energy as 'moonshine' and takes personal offense.
- Rutherford's remark triggers Szilard's obsession to prove the opposite.