8.+The+Office+of+Scientific+Research+and+Development+and+its+achievements+(+especially+the+Manhattan+Project)

Albert Einstein’s Journal July 16, 1945

 Today was the day of the first test of the atomic bomb. It took place in the New Mexico dessert at the Trinity Test Site. The bomb that was detonated today was the culmination of the Manhattan Engineer District or as it is normally called, the Manhattan Project. I myself have been stationed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Manhattan Project is a research project headed by the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD). The OSRD was created to coordinate the development of new devices such as radar and the atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project was created to counter the fact that the American government feared that Nazi Germany had a secret nuclear development program. Hopefully the Nazis have not developed a bomb such as this yet because I believe that this weapon has the power to take millions of lives. I now realize that if “I made one great mistake in my life it was when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made.”

http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/07/trinitytest_500px.jpg

http://www.doug-long.com/einstein.htm http://www.roadwolf.ca/blog/?p=93 http://www.answers.com/topic/office-of-scientific-research-and-development
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