The Manhattan Project

Short History Of...

Noiser

History

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 June 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

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Summary

The Manhattan Project was the codename for the US government’s top secret programme to develop the first atomic bomb. At the height of World War Two, America’s top scientists - such as Dr Robert Oppenheimer - raced against Nazi Germany to harness the power of nuclear fission, and ultimately end the war. But what is the story of the other scientists, soldiers and civilians who brought about the birth of the A-bomb? What role did Albert Einstein play in the project? And what were the consequences when the bomb was finally used? This is a Short History Of The Manhattan Project. A Noiser Production, written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Dr Cameron Reed, a physicist, and the author of ‘Manhattan Project, The Story Of The Century.’ Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	It is approaching 5 a.m. on the 16th of July,
0:09.0	1945.
0:11.0	A storm is passing over the desert of New Mexico and the United States of America.
0:18.0	This barren area is known as Honada del Muerto, or dead man's route.
0:23.6	But today, as lightning splits the sky, it is alive with activity.
0:36.6	A man gets out of an army jeep and walks into a bunker.
0:41.3	As he enters the room, he finds an atmosphere of tense excitement.
0:47.3	They're here to conduct a test that has never been tried before.
0:52.3	And it's this man, Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, who is in charge.
1:03.0	No one knows what to expect, not even Oppenheimer, but some of his team have taken bets
1:07.8	on the possible outcomes.
1:10.7	One, they will be blown to bits.
1:14.6	Two, the experiment will be a humiliating dud.
1:17.6	Or three, its success will change the course of history.
1:30.3	At 5.10 AM, a 20-minute countdown begins. The experiment is the culmination of years of work, undertaken by what is known as the Manhattan Project.
1:38.3	This location has been chosen because it is remote, flat, and there is usually very little wind.
1:46.0	Three vital factors, which prompted Oppenheimer to name this test site, Trinity.
1:53.0	He peers out through a peephole, cut into the soil bank of the bunker.
1:59.0	The shelter stands over five miles from ground zero,
2:03.6	the actual site of the test, so Oppenheimer can barely see it, but he knows every detail.
2:10.6	Out in the desert stands a 100-foot tower upon which rests a strange-looking ball. A metal globe, about the height of a car, it is covered with black wires that loop between shiny nodes dotting its surface.
2:25.3	The cables connect to a control panel.
	...

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