Oral history of British science
Rotblat, Joseph (25 of 40). National Life Stories Collection: General
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Type
sound
Duration
00:25:40
Shelf mark
C464/17
Subjects
Physics
Recording date
2000-05
Interviewees
Rotblat, Joseph, 1908-2005 (speaker, male)
Interviewers
Thompson, Katherine (speaker, female)
Abstract
Part 25: The 2nd committee agreed on important issues which became the agenda for further meetings. The 3rd committee agreed on role of scientists - i.e. not to accept dogma. Russians accepted!! JR talks about press conference, questions, Cyrus Eaton's influence, responses. JR invited to Japan for congress against atom bomb. Describes visit to Japan and discussions there. JR talks about effects of radiation, his experiments on mice and his conclusions. More about Japan and his speech there. Talk about December meeting at Barts including Russell, Hungarian and Weizsacker, JR and Rabinowitch. They prepared questionnaire for further meetings sent to all scientists. Prepared 3 types of activities - A. large meetings - for public opinion, B. educating scientists, C. private meetings - to go into depth of questions. Most scientists were in favour of B and C. Russians wanted A. Long discussion, took vote in committee, result 3 against 2, agreed on compromise - B and also C, this became model for future. B for annual conference and C for workshops. Opinions also asked of people like Priestly, Kingsley Martin, Lonsdale and others. Feb. and March too cold for Pugwash so meetings were held in Quebec and large meeting in Vienna.
Description
Nobel Peace Prize winner and nuclear physicist Joseph Rotblat in conversation about his life and work. A key figure in the development of the atomic bomb, he left the US government's Manhattan Project once it became apparent that Nazi Germany did not have the capability to build a bomb of its own.
Related links
Visit this interviewee's page on the 'Voices of Science' web resource
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