Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon Flashcards
(46 cards)
Where was Harry Gold from?
Philadelphia
What was the first piece of evidence the FBI found that showed that Harry was lying about being a homebody?
they found a bus schedule
What piece of evidence forced Harry to confess?
a map of New Mexico
What happened during Oppenheimer’s date with Melba Philips?
He got out to take a walk and left Melba in the car. He walked all the way home and left her in the car.
Why did Oppenheimer’s parents keep him inside?
He would easily get sick
Why was he sent to sport’s camp?
to toughen him up
Why did they call him Cutie at camp?
because he wrote home every week and he wrote poetry
What did the kids at camp do to Robert?
They painted him with green paint
What was the student petition about when Robert was in college?
The petition was to stop Robert from interrupting class with his own theories.
Why did Robert get interested in politics?
Because the Depression was affecting the students he taught and they weren’t able to get jobs
Why did he help Jews escape Germany?
Because he was a Jew and he had family in Germany
What metal did Hahn use in his experiments?
Uranium
Who did Hahn write to about his experiments?
Lise Meitner
Why did Lise Meitner move to Sweden?
She was forced out of Germany because she was Jewish
Who brought the news of the uranium atom splitting in America?
Neils Bohr
What did the scientist call the splitting of the atom?
fission
What did the two physicists want to ask Einstein to do?
They wanted Einstein to warn President Roosevelt of the possibility of a German atomic bomb.
What did Einstein urge the U.S. to do?
1) explore building an atomic bomb in the U.S., 2) stop the sale of Uranium to Germany
What was the goal of the Uranium committee?
They were to find out the basics of how an atomic bomb might work and what you would need to build one.
Why did Einstein write another letter to Roosevelt?
To tell him that Germany was doing secret atomic bomb research.
What did Tom Black want to do with Harry Gold?
He wanted to make him a communist.
What did Gold learn about Communism?
He learned that the Soviet Government made all of the decisions about what the economy should produce and how goods should be distributed.
Why do communists believe in this way of government?
Because they believe it will wipe out greed and poverty.
Why did Gold decide to spy for the Soviets?
Because he wanted to thank Black for getting him a job and repay the debt to him
