Making the Bomb: What to Expect

This class may be somewhat different than other classes you've taken. In particular, because of the nature of the material, there are some challenges associated with this class. It's important to be clear about what you're getting into. To that end, here's some advice and comments and such.

• This class is a lot of reading. If you don't like to read, you probably won't enjoy this class. Most of the reading is not very "academic", but it's still a lot. It's important that you space out the reading. It's hard to read 150 pages in one night, but it's not so hard to read 50 pages three nights in a row.

• Falling behind in the reading is not a good idea. This class is almost entirely discussion-based. I won't have lectures prepared. If you're behind in the reading, then you won't be able to contribute to the discussions. In so doing, you're detracting from the learning opportunity of the other students in the class.

• In the past, some students have found this class to be surprisingly emotionally intense. I think there are several reasons for this:
  1. We read a lot about the World War II, and focus quite a bit on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The magnitude of the human destruction associated with these events is difficult to comprehend.
  2. The story of the making of the atomic bomb and its subsequent use in World War II is not a simple one; the issues are large and, in my opinion, there aren't many easy conclusions to draw.
  3. I suspect that over the course of the term especially toward the end, we may find ourselves reminded of the events of Sept. 11, 2002, and also the current goings-on in Iraq. This might be difficult territory for some.

• This is not a science class, but along the way we'll learn some science. There won't be any equations or problem sets or labs. In the past, I've found that students who take this class have a very wide range of backgrounds in physics and chemistry. In my view, this is a strength of the course. However, it does mean that at times a few people might be confused, and sometimes we might review some chemistry that you're already familiar with. The maximum science confusion will occur around week three.

• This is a history class. However, I am not a historian. I know a lot about the physics and chemistry, have thought and read lots about different ways to think about and analyze science, and know a fair amount about the history of the Manhattan project. But I have no training in methods of historical analysis, nor do I have any scholarly sense of different schools of thought about what gets to count as history, and why.

• What we do for the last third of the class is quite flexible; feedback is encouraged, and will help make the class better.

Web page maintained by dave@hornacek.coa.edu.