Atomic Story 3

3  - The War and the Bomb

In as early January 1940 the team from Birmingham put their research to Sir Henry Tizard. Interesting ly the scientists were Rudolf Peierls and Otto Robert Frisch, two physicists who were refugees from Nazi Germany working at the University of Birmingham under the direction of Mark Oliphant. As early as April 1939, an approach had been by the team at Cambridge made concerning the feasilibity of an Atomic bomb. They approached Sir Kenneth Pickthorn, the local Member of Parliament, who took their concerns to the Secretary of the Committee for Imperial Defence, Major General Hastings Ismay. Ismay in turn asked Sir Henry Tizard for an opinion. Like many scientists, Tizard was sceptical of the likelihood of an atomic bomb being developed, reckoning the odds of success at 100,000 to 1

Even at such long odds, the danger was sufficiently great to be taken seriously, but Tizard's Committee for the Scientific Survey of Air Warfare (CSSAW) was directed to continue the research into the feasibility of atomic bombs.

The French connection

Meanwhile the French (with allied cooperation) had succeeded in removing the only source of heavy water (a key component in the production of enriched Uranium 235) from Norway due to fears that it may be captured by the Germans.

They also heard from Jacques Allier of the French Deuxieme Bureau, who had been involved in the removal of the entire stock of heavy water from Norway. He told them of the interest the Germans had shown in the heavy water, and in the activity of the French researchers in Paris. Because of the key element (no pun) in this being Uranium, immediate action was taken: the Ministry of Economic Warfare was asked to secure stocks of uranium oxide in danger of being captured by the Germans.

At the time the only source of Uranium was a mine in the Belgian Congo. Lord Chartfield, Minister for Coordination of Defence checked with the Treasury and Foreign Office, and found that the Belgian Congo uranium was owned by the Union Minière du Haut Katanga company, whose British vice president, Lord Stonehaven, arranged a meeting with the president of the company, Edgar Sengier. Since Union Minière management were friendly towards Britain, it was not considered worthwhile to immediately acquire the uranium

Atomic story 2

Splitting the Atom

Well before WWII in the early 20th Century scientist were working on Nuclear (Atomic) Physics and chemistry.

The neutron was discovered by James Chadwick at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in February 1932. In April 1932, his Cavendish colleagues John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton split lithium atoms with accelerated protons. Enrico Fermi and his team in Rome conducted experiments involving the bombardment of elements by slow neutrons, which produced heavier elements and isotopes. Then, in December 1938, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann at Hahn's laboratory in Berlin-Dahlem bombarded uranium with slowed neutrons, and discovered that barium had been produced, and therefore that the uranium nucleus had been split. Hahn wrote to his colleague Lise Meitner, who, with her nephew Otto Frisch, developed a theoretical justification for the process, which they published in Nature in 1939. By analogy with the division of biological cells, they named the process "fission".

The discovery of fission raised the possibility that a very powerful bomb could be produced. A few hundred pounds of say Uranium or so could produce an explosion the equivalent of many thousands of tons of high explosive. At this time no one was sure.

A very sinister story begins in WWII

i want to begin with how we think we have a "special relationship"

Legacy of WWII

I’m going to tell you story, a true story. What I can’t tell you, are the gaps! You see we only know actually what we are allowed to know. Unlike the USA we don’t have “Freedom of Information”. You might think so but we don’t. Although people don’t sign the Official Secrets act any more the reason is that they don’t have to, the Law still applies even if you haven’t signed it. It’s implicit.
Only certain documents have been declassified in Britain, many of them are “lost”, so can’t be shown any more (likely story, many have been destroyed, deliberately).
Anyway what we have are records of what did happen and if you add together what happened in US which is still documented and now declassified I think you can see the parallels and fill in the gaps. Actually I think that’s what science is about, you have a theory and adding up the evidence that you have you carry on finding evidence to prove your theory. It’s not Hype and hysteria it’s based on true facts and science. As I said I have a theory and you may agree with my conclusions. What we are left with is still unexplainable and in my opinion needs a thorough investigation by the relevant authorities and people. NOT a cover up.
If nothing else I think this is a fascinating story. Let’s start with some background, the development of Nuclear power and the Atom bomb.

Inappropriate behaviour -Sex Wars?

This current trend of ladies to accuse men of inappropriate behaviour at levels up to including rape has to me a sinister undercurrent. Yes some behaviour is definitely wrong and the men need to be punished. Not by social media but in a court. 

Let's be honest we are social animals have hormones drives and behaviours. This has evolved over thousands of years. Social media has only been around in a blink. Things will change. Meanwhile we are in dangerous territory, women alienating all men as ergo they are all potential rapists? and a danger to women! This is patently rubbish but a real danger. These women need to act immediately to bat back the sex pests, or report them. Not waiting decades. Also with historical child abuse what purpose is served by endlessly chasing dead personalities?  Yes it was wrong and it did happen but everyone's perspective changes over time and things may not be actually real.
Where should behaviour go now. Let's calm the Social Media down. It's too easy to condemn men by Facebook without real justice. Do women really want a world with no flirting, they do it too. Women manipulate men to achieve their goals, how do men fight back?

Trump wants to Ban Internet?

Trump wants to Ban the internet to foil terrorism? Maybe a bit simplistic but I sort of agree with the idea.
I've argued that the internet is a wonderful tool for all criminals including terrorists. But no one can truly be anonymous there. To get on you need an IP address, much like a car number plate. All IP addresses relate to countries and are obtained from companies who own them. So if the authorities want to know who is saying what track the IP address down. EASY. Yes I know they try to hide, spoofing or using proxies, but also all internet traffic has to be routed. So just like Trump wants to Mu slims entering USA, then track the IP addresses as far as you can then where it stops the company routing it should be locked down. The message wool echo across the internet and the company's don't want to lose business. Maybe whole countries need blocking? Can be done, till they root out the criminals. It's not just Google,  Facebook, Microsoft to blame they just sit on the internet but they should too take down the vile information hosted. They should give up all information on the people behind the names used.

Wipe ISIS out?

We seem to be obsessed and terrified by terrorism but I ask, how many people a year are killed by terrorists? Donald Trump wants to eliminate ISIS. In reality terrorists don't kill as many as are killed by DRUGS. Why aren't we at war with the countries who produce drugs? Over 3000 recorded drug related deaths in 2025 and who knows what misery and crime is drug related? So why aren't our Governments fighting this with all their effort. We should be at WAR with the purveyors of drugs, the countries that supply the drugs. Yes, I suppose they don't condone it but say Columbia is where heroin etc originates for one. What about border police/ customs stopping it coming in?

Can't bomb an Ideaology

Its no good Cameron thinking we can bomb ISIS to death. You can't bomb an ideaology. The terrorists can't be reasoned with so we've no choice but shoot to kill or they'll kill us, but we must cut off their Oxygen. How do they post on the internet, where do they get weapons, tools, cars and money from? Anyone associated with them must be found and stopped. Block the internet we CAN. They stop paedophiles etc.if say Toyota felt the wrath of Governments and people or ISIS using their cars then they'd soon put pressure on their supply chains to stop dealing with them. The buck stops  here. The message would get across "don't deal with ISIS".
Then we've got educate the Muslims here and elsewhere that mindless violence won't win the war. either give them something worth having at home better than ISIS.

Bankers have all the Power?

I watched Wolf Hall the other week and I thought that it was extremely funny that Cromwell threatened Harry Percy with Bankruptcy if he did not co-operate. No physical violence just that he was so in debt that Cromwell could make him a pariah by getting his Banker friends to stop his loans then he would have no one and no one would want to be his friend.

Funny how this is still true today.

How would ISIS function without money.

They get money from several sources, oil, and rich supporters who have oil, plus dealing in antiquities.

To me what is astonishingly scandalous is WHO handles this money for them? Surely they don't carry cash around in suitcases?

If we in the West could simply cut off their supply of money by breaking all internet links they have and confiscating/freezing the funds wherever they are and anyone else who is connected to them - thsat is these dealers in  these antiquities, the millionaires who buy them, the arms dealers etc. etc. 

Surely we could then stifle them out. NO FIGHTING necessary.

Come on Obama, Cameron, Merkel, UN, etc. etc. STOP IT, or does the dirty money go up even to these hallowed places?

Look at thes pictures showing ISIS parading in Libya in TOYOTA CARS. Lets all Boycott TOYOTA as a supporter of ISIS. They'd soon stop supplpying vehicles to terrorists if the rest of the world became a no sell zone!!

Come on Obama, Cameron, Merkel, UN, etc. etc. put sanctions on Japan/Toyota - see what happens?

Holocaust Memorial Day 27th January

It is Holocaust Memorial Day 27th January. It will be the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Events in Paris and recently demonstrate that lessons are still to be learned of Man's inhumanity to Man.

HMD is about reminding us not just of the events 70years ago- but of every act of Genocide and Hate Crime that still occurs.

Watch this programme on BBC2 thursday 21:30.
Holocaust survivor Freddie Knoller (now in his 90s) tells his personal story of being a young Jewish man during World War II.
There won't be many more actual survivors to tell the stories. If they tell one person though then the memory survives to remind us of the HORROR.

Look at what is happening in Cameroon today.

What is this about in Niger?

We tolerate all faiths, colours and creeds in Britain - providing they obey our laws.

If what they want to do is against our law then why don't they leave and go somewhere where they can practice it? For example in Abu Dhabi we cannot drink alcohol and if we visit there we respect their laws.

Top Gear starts second Falklands War?

Top gear could have made sensational headlines as above - maybe? Well it seems the Argies aren't happy with Jeremy Clarkson and co who were filming a Top Gear "stunt" there.

Were they aware of possible significance of the number plated Porsche? "oh dear, no" they said - "you bet they were " I SAY.

Heavens sake this is Top Gear they like to court controversy - why does JC work for the BBC? He's nearly been sacked a couple of times but they let him off.

Weather the BBC like TG because they can sell it is one thing, as a Taxpayer funded organisation I say "NO WAY". How on earth is the BBC allowed to do these things? If it was a private company fair enough - they take the consequences, but when  you and I are paying for it. In these days of austerity, the Government wants to cut Benefits to make ends meet, how about letting every body be £145 a year better off. Abolish the Licence fee, and Privatise the BBC.

MP John Whittingdale who chairs the Culture and Media committee said that "it was getting harder to sustain the license fee".

Too right when the bloated BBC languishes fat salaries on endless "executives", insane "stars", ridiculous "presenters" (Claudia Winkelman £250,000) and wastes money provoking other countries, do we really expect this on our hard earned money. If even a minute fraction of any of this was done by say your local council (taxpayer funded) or your MP (taxpayer funded) there would out cry "sack them" but this is hte BBC (Taxpayer Funded).

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

News Corporation is still feeling the effects of the "Phone Hacking" scandal - what are the sanctions on the BBC - I think its too much part of the establishment - hence why Jimmy Saville got away with it for so long. Maybe there is change in the air?

They sold off the Post Office, if Sky can be profitable then why not the BBC,? It gets over £3 billion pounds a year to make "entertainment"!! how can this be in 2014?

Where is our Middle East Peace envoy?

I asked this yesterday. Seems Blair is partying while Gaza burns.

Salute to D Day veterans

I salute all the D Day soldiers, sailors and airmen who risked all for their country and our futures.

It saddens me though to think that the world in which we live today has some crazy values but they fought for the right to have these crazy values?

Amanda Platell in the Daily Mail sums it up, do we respect our old people, no we put them in homes out of sight out of mind. Where is our respect for age and wisdom?

In the 40's/50's people were grateful for what they had, now they expect everything on a plate even thought they've done nothing to justify it. Its your Human Right to it eh?

Putin is great? For us!

Putin is to be feared. We need to be prepared to stand up to him. We need the wake up call. For too long now we've been complacent sitting back and getting fat. We are cutting our armed forces and being weak. So maybe soon Putin  Will test us for real. He is showing us up. No sitting back getting fat for him. Like it or not he is galvanising his country and they Will be a formidable foe both militaryly and economically. We need stomach this. We need the kick up the backside. Suppose there was a war, all our young people would have purpose, no unemployment. Not nice to sacrifice lives but what about the wasted lives, drugs , and idleness make? Living death for many.
We'll see eh?

How to live longer?

So we must eat less to live longer - no surprise.


I was brought up in the 50's /60s and remember food being precious. No junk food then. I also remember always playing out until dark, no tele or computer games. A "drink" was what you had at a celebration. My Grandma lived to 85 and died in 1977. 


Only down side was smoking - then they didn't know the risks but also since many had died in the War there was a live for now attitude. No fat people around either.


What we need is fresh food (not processed) enough and exercise. So no wonder we're eating our selves to death. Your body knows how to process it and makes best use of it.