Long before the first atom bombs were used in 1945, nuclear scientists tried to prevent a world where opposed military powers had nuclear weapons.
They failed. Why?
Read the newly-released case study by Bismarck Analysis here: bismarckanalysis.com/Nuclear_Weapon…
This case study is based on research conducted primarily in 2018 and which formed the basis for Zachary Lerangis’ recent article on the physicist Leo Szilard in @palladiummag, which you can read here:
palladiummag.com/2021/03/16/leo…
Bismarck Analysis occasionally makes select analytical products available to the general public. This is the second case study we have released.
The first case study, on machine tools and advanced manufacturing, was released in 2020. You can read it here bismarckanalysis.com/Machine_Tools_…
The machine tools case study also formed the basis for the excellent @palladiummag article by @benlandautaylor and @OberonDL on how state capacity drives industrialization, which you can read here:
palladiummag.com/2020/02/12/how…
I will be writing threads on key sections and insights from our case study on nuclear weapons development for the next few days.
They will be appended to this megathread, where you can navigate to each of them:
On why the case study is the best methodology for sociological research:
On how scientists vigorously lobbied for the start of the Manhattan Project, but were rebuffed until government officials determined it was time:
On the physicist Leo Szilard’s attempts to influence the administration of nuclear weapons research programs:
On Niels Bohr’s vigorous and yet ultimately failed attempts to pre-emptively stop nuclear weapons proliferation:
On why scientists and technologists cannot be merely empowered with political authority, rather they must adopt a culture of statesmanship:
As a coda for this storm of threads, I highlight some additional notable episodes in the history of relationships between scientists and statesmen during this era:
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