Einstein and the Atom Bomb.

Einstein, E = mc² and the Atom Bomb.

In 1937, Einstein was told by Leo Slizard (better known for his Science Fiction  writing ) that based on his (Einstein,s) E = mc² , an atom bomb was probably being made by Germany (Which it was trying to do). At this time, Slizard was already trying to work out some means to produce an Atom Bomb. Slizard convinced Einstein to back him, and Slizard drafted a letter to President Roosevelt which Einstein signed. That was the extent of Einstein’s involvement with the Atom Bomb.

Let us consider E = mc² ,

i.e. Energy = Mass x (The Velocity of Light)²

This is based on the standard formula in mechanics, E = mv² or Energy = Mass x Velocity² , modified because of Einstein’s interpretation of the Michelson-Morley experiment.

Einstein argued that for anything travelling at the speed of light, any variation in energy must mean a variation in the mass, based on the argument that the speed of light was a constant value.

In fact, neither formulae have any relevance to the Atom Bomb. The actual Atom Bomb is based on well known classical mechanical principles.

A match head is a source of energy, a gallon of petrol is a source of energy, a piece of coal is a source of energy and uranium is a source of energy. The ignition of any of these items is an atomic reaction. An atomic reaction involves only the complete atom, a nuclear reaction affects the nucleus itself, a far more serious situation. Even our sun is unlikely to involve nuclear reactions, it is far too small to contain the really dangerous atoms required for nuclear reactions to take place.

The danger could arise from material arriving from outer space that does contain the really dangerous atoms that could be accidentally included in an atomic explosion

None of them (so far) have produced nuclear reactions, thank God, otherwise we would not be here.

I have just to-day read an article on the web about Einstein. http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/einstein.htm. Although blatantly anti-Semitic, (I did’nt even know he was Jewish) it argues that all Einstein’s work was plagerized from more deserving (none Jewish) physicists. In that case I feel that they were even more incompetant than Einstein.

Author, Brian Williams