Podcast: Stories From The Eastern West #10 - NUCLEAR

Discover how Joseph Rotblat went from creating nuclear bombs to winning the Nobel Peace prize.
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The American bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is generally considered to be one of the most, if not the most, important events of the 20th Century. It succeeded in bringing about Japanese capitulation and the end of the Second World War, but, at the same time, marked the advent of nuclear weapons. For the first time in history, civilizations could be completely wiped off the map with the push of a button. For most, this was a terrifying prospect. For a man Józef Rotblat, it was a call to action.
In this episode, our hosts will tell you the remarkable story of Józef Rotblat, a nuclear physicist and peace activist. We’ll discuss the suffering he endured in his early life and how this shaped his worldview. We’ll talk about his time at the Manhattan Project and his motivations for leaving. We’ll also dedicate a significant portion of the episode to talking about Rotblat’s lifelong activism and his enduring legacy.
Time stamps:
[02:00] Joseph Rotblat’s difficult youth
[05:30] Rotblat’s involvement in the Project Manhattan
[10:05] Is it even possible to leave a super secret military project?
[12:00] How Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Rotblat become a vocal peace activist
[16:50] What led to the founding of the Pugwash Conferences?
[19:20] Noble Prize for Rotblat and Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
[21:00] Should scientists take a Hippocratic Oath of some sort?
[24:20] Rotblat’s legacy and contribution to anti-nuclear movement
Further reading:
- Dr. Rotblat: Or How I Learned to Start Worrying and Fear the Bomb on Culture.pl: culture.pl/en/article/dr-rotb...
- Polonium, Radium, Solidarity, and the Nuclear Bomb on Culture.pl: culture.pl/en/article/poloniu...
- Voices of the Manhattan Project: www.manhattanprojectvoices.org/
- War and Peace in the Nuclear Age: Interview with Joseph Rotblat: openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_5...
- Joseph Rotblat 1995 Nobel Peace Prize Speech (Transcribed): www.nobelprize.org/nobel_priz...
- Manhattan Project on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhatt...
- James Chadwick on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_C...
Thanks:
Dr. Martin Sherwin for being so kind and allowing us to interview him during his sabbatical. Martin Sherwin is an American historian. His scholarship mostly concerns the history of the development of atomic energy and nuclear proliferation.
SFTEW Team: Wojciech Oleksiak, Adam Zulawski, Lea Berriault, John Beauchamp, Nitzan Reisner & Michael Keller