The newest contribution to my new-found category of Found Word Art is constructed from the text of Albert Einstein's two letters (August 2 1939 and March 7 1940) to President Franklin Roosevelt about the use of the coming atomic weapon. The text of the letters was simply deposited in the wonder-engine word-atomizer at WORDLE, and the relative distribution of the most commonly-used words were given new representation in relative sizes. I should point out the earliest post I did on the cautionary letters of Einstein and Szilard to FDR and refer to it for the explanation the occurrences of some of the Wordle words.
If you click on the image it will become larger and clearer.
The complete text of the two letters is found below in the Continue Reading section.
The text of Einstein's two letters to Franklin Roosevelt:
August 2, 1939
Sir:
Some recent work by E.Fermi and L. Szilard, which has been
communicated to me in manuscript, leads me to expect that the element
uranium may be turned into a new and important source of energy in the
immediate future. Certain aspects of the situation which has arisen
seem to call for watchfulness and, if necessary, quick action on the
part of the Administration. I believe therefore that it is my duty to
bring to your attention the following facts and recommendations:
In
the course of the last four months it has been made probable -through
the work of Joliot in France as well as Fermi and Szilard in America -
that it may become possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a
large mass of uranium,by which vast amounts of power and large
quantities of new radium-like elements would be generated. Now it
appears almost certain that this could be achieved in the immediate
future.
This new phenomenon would also lead to the construction
of bombs, and it is conceivable - though much less certain - that
extremely powerful bombs of a new type may thus be constructed. A
single bomb of this type, carried by boat and exploded in a port, might
very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding
territory. However, such bombs might very well prove to be too heavy
for transportation by air.
The United States has only very poor
ores of uranium in moderate quantities. There is some good ore in
Canada and the former Czechoslovakia. while the most important source
of uranium is Belgian Congo.
In view of the situation you may
think it desirable to have more permanent contact maintained between
the Administration and the group of physicists working on chain
reactions in America. One possible way of achieving this might be for
you to entrust with this task a person who has your confidence and who
could perhaps serve in an inofficial capacity. His task might comprise
the following:
a) to approach Government Departments, keep them
informed of the further development, and put forward recommendations
for Government action, giving particular attention to the problem of
securing a supply of uranium ore for the United States;
b) to
speed up the experimental work,which is at present being carried on
within the limits of the budgets of University laboratories, by
providing funds, if such funds be required, through his contacts with y
private persons who are willing to make contributions for this cause,
and perhaps also by obtaining the co-operation of industrial
laboratories which have the necessary equipment.
I understand
that Germany has actually stopped the sale of uranium from the
Czechoslovakian mines which she has taken over. That she should have
taken such early action might perhaps be understood on the ground
hat
the son of the German Under-Secretary of State, von Weizsäcker, is
attached to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut in Berlin where some of the
American work on uranium is now being repeated
(signed)
A. Einstein
March 7, 1940
I wish to draw your attention to the development which has taken place since the conference that was arranged through your good offices in October last year between scientists engaged in this work and governmental representatives.
Last year, when I realized that results of national importance might arise out of research on uranium, I thought it my duty to inform the administration of this possibility. You will perhaps remember that in the letter which I addressed to the President I also mentioned the fact that C. F. von Weizsäcker, son of the German Undersecretary of State, was collaborating with a group of chemists working upon uranium at one of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institutes - namely, the Institute of Chemistry.
Since the outbreak of the war, interest in uranium has intensified in Germany. I have now learned that research there is carried out in great secrecy and that it has been extended to another of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institutes, the Institute of Physics. The latter has been taken over by the government and a group of physicists, under the leadership of C. F. von Weizsäcker, who is now working there on uranium in collaboration with the Institute of Chemistry. The former director was sent away on leave of absence, apparently for the duration of the war.
Should you think it advisable to relay this information to the President, please consider yourself free to do so. Will you be kind enough to let me know if you are taking action in this direction?
Dr. Szilard has shown me the manuscript which he is sending to the Physics Review in which he describes in detail a method of setting up a chain reaction in uranium. The papers will appear in print unless they are held up, and the question arises whether something ought to be done to withhold publication.
I have discussed with professor Wigner of Princeton University the situation in the light of the information available. Dr. Szilard will let you have a memorandum informing you of the progress made since October last year so that you will be able to take such action as you think in the circumstances advisable. You will see that the line he has pursued is different and apparently more promising than the line pursued by M. Joliot in France, about whose work you may have seen reports in the papers.
Comments