[Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Szilard Patent Considerations

[Dick]

First to Charles: Great Job! I look forward to your next presentation 
regarding the Manhattan Project itself.

John asked me to perhaps talk a little about the Szilard patent at a 
future time. I would be happy to do so. There isn't much to say. 
However, to whet your appetite, Szilard and Fermi (who I'm sure Charles 
will talk about next time) worked together on "elements";-) of this patent.

Since I worked with nuclear weapons early in my  career, I have kept an 
interest in this subject. To me, perhaps the most interesting aspect of 
the development and use of this technology is the personalities of the 
scientists and their interactions as the discoveries, their 
communications, and later ethical issues in nuclear physics occurred 
from circa 1905 until the 1950's.

As an addendum to Charles' excellent discussion of the Manhattan 
project, their is a relatively recent book (copyright 2005) by Jennet 
Conant, the granddaughter of James B. Conant, centered on what happened 
at Los Alamos, New Mexico during the period of the "atom bomb" 
development, particularly the vagaries of the personalities involved in 
this project. The book is entitled '109 East Palace'. I'll leave it to 
you all to learn why she used this title. Jennet also wrote 'Tuxedo 
Park', which Charles also mentioned in his talk today.