Discussion: Fat Man and Little Boy

** We WILL have class on Friday, September 14. **

1. Was the damage caused in Japan by the bomb justified? Please consider the following quote from yesterday:

   "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."
   President Bush, September 11, 2001, from the Oval Office of the White House as he promised retaliation.

   Did the terrorist tragedies of September 11 affect your views on this?

2. Discuss how Gen. Groves and Dr. Oppenheimer (Oppy) misunderstood each other's "cultures": high security for the military, free discussion for the scientists. What are your current expectations for the "culture" you will encounter next year in your job or graduate school?

3. Discuss the ethical concerns of the scientists, and Oppy's statements:
   • "We solved a technical problem; we are not responsible for how the device is used."
   • "Everyone else in the world will get a bomb if we don't do it first."
   Suppose you are an engineer on a team that develops an information system (e.g., spy network) that eventually leads to mass destruction in an act of war. Is this different than direct involvement with developing a bomb?

4. Discuss the roles that women and minorities played in the development of the A-bomb.