XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, sci.math, rec.arts.sf.written
From: starmaker@ix.netcom.com
On Sat, 01 Nov 2025 13:13:23 -0700, The Starmaker
wrote:
>On Fri, 31 Oct 2025 22:24:21 -0700, The Starmaker
> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 30 Oct 2025 09:59:55 -0700, The Starmaker
>> wrote:
>>
>>>On Wed, 29 Oct 2025 23:48:18 -0700, The Starmaker
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:24:58 -0700, The Starmaker
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:21:12 -0700, The Starmaker
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On Mon, 27 Oct 2025 20:48:04 -0700, The Starmaker
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On Sun, 26 Oct 2025 20:21:37 -0700, The Starmaker
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On Sun, 26 Oct 2025 13:52:17 -0700, The Starmaker
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>On Sun, 26 Oct 2025 12:37:15 -0700, The Starmaker
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>On Sun, 26 Oct 2025 11:28:04 -0700, The Starmaker
>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>On Sat, 25 Oct 2025 11:36:36 -0700, The Starmaker
>>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>In the 1940's
>>>>>>>>>>>>the department of war
>>>>>>>>>>>>the military,
>>>>>>>>>>>>had the same problem...
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>they sat around a table
>>>>>>>>>>>>they had a conference
>>>>>>>>>>>>and their solution was...
>>>>>>>>>>>>Albert Einstein.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>First I have to tell you the background
>>>>>>>>>>>of how Einstein and I became acquainted.
>>>>>>>>>>>At the time of Pearl Harbor, I was a re-
>>>>>>>>>>>search chemist in the U. S. Department
>>>>>>>>>>>of Agriculture. Soon after that, I applied
>>>>>>>>>>>for a commission in the Navy. After a
>>>>>>>>>>>long drawn-out fight with the Navy,
>>>>>>>>>>>which included one rejection, I won the
>>>>>>>>>>>fight, and received my commission as a
>>>>>>>>>>>full lieutenant (equivalent to a captain
>>>>>>>>>>>in the Army) on September 2, 1942.
>>>>>>>>>>>After that it took more than a month until
>>>>>>>>>>>I located a billet in the Bureau of Ord-
>>>>>>>>>>>nance and was called in for active duty.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Mr. Clark, following Gamow’s book,
>>>>>>>>>>>wrote about the “Division of High Ex-
>>>>>>>>>>>plosives” in the Bureau of Ordnance,
>>>>>>>>>>>but there was no such thing. The Bureau
>>>>>>>>>>>had a “Research and Development Divi-
>>>>>>>>>>>sion (Re),"" the ision had a section
>>>>>>>>>>>called “Ammunition and Explosives
>>>>>>>>>>>(Re2)", and the section had a subsec-
>>>>>>>>>>>tion called “High Explosives and Propel-
>>>>>>>>>>>lants (Re2c)."” I was assigned to Re2c.
>>>>>>>>>>>It had two other reserve officers in it
>>>>>>>>>>>when I joined, and we divided the work
>>>>>>>>>>>among ourselves. One became head of
>>>>>>>>>>>propellant research, I became head of
>>>>>>>>>>>high explosives research, and the third,
>>>>>>>>>>>who was a lieutenant j.g., became my
>>>>>>>>>>>assistant and deputy. I was, on the basis
>>>>>>>>>>>of my broad experience in the field, ex-
>>>>>>>>>>>cellently qualified for my assignment. I
>>>>>>>>>>>knew the names of two high explosives:
>>>>>>>>>>>TNT and dynamite. With that knowl-
>>>>>>>>>>>edge, I became head of high explosives
>>>>>>>>>>>research and development for the world’s
>>>>>>>>>>>largest Navy!
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>But I was young and learned fast;
>>>>>>>>>>>furthermore, the staff kept on growing as.
>>>>>>>>>>>the war progressed. I acquired two
>>>>>>>>>>>groups of civilian scientists; one headed
>>>>>>>>>>>by one of the speakers at this meeting,
>>>>>>>>>>>Raymond J. Seeger; another of tonight's
>>>>>>>>>>>speakers, Harry Polachek, was in this
>>>>>>>>>>>group; the other group was headed by
>>>>>>>>>>>Gregory Hartmann, who eventually be-
>>>>>>>>>>>came Technical Director of the post-
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>permission to visit him in Princeton. The
>>>>>>>>>>>gracious consent came by return mail.
>>>>>>>>>>>The visit took place on May 16. After
>>>>>>>>>>>the pleasant preliminaries, I asked Ein-
>>>>>>>>>>>stein whether he would be willing to be-
>>>>>>>>>>>come a consultant for the Navy in general,
>>>>>>>>>>>and for me, in the field of high explo-
>>>>>>>>>>>sives research, in particular. Einstein was
>>>>>>>>>>>tremendously pleased about the offer,
>>>>>>>>>>>and very happily gave his consent. He
>>>>>>>>>>>felt very bad about being neglected. He
>>>>>>>>>>>had not been approached by anyone to
>>>>>>>>>>>do any war work since the United States
>>>>>>>>>>>entered the war. He said to me, “People
>>>>>>>>>>>think that I am interested only in theory,
>>>>>>>>>>>and not in anything practical. This is not
>>>>>>>>>>>true. I was working in the Patent Office
>>>>>>>>>>>in Zurich, and I participated in the de-
>>>>>>>>>>>velopment of many inventions. The gyro-
>>>>>>>>>>>scope too.”’ I said, “That's fine. You are
>>>>>>>>>>>hired.”
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Here is a short explaination of why they hired Albert Einstein:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>" Calvert served on the Jack under Lt. Comdr. Tommy Dykers, and here
>>>>>>>>>>is how he describes his sub’s first experience with the Mark 6
>>>>>>>>>>exploder: “We worked into an excellent position and fired three
>>>>>>>>>>torpedoes—the Jack ’s first war shots of her career. Short of the
>>>>>>>>>>predicted torpedo run time, we heard a tremendous explosion. That
>>>>>>>>>>should finish him, I thought.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>“‘ Damn those exploders … damn them all to hell! ’ said Dykers as he
>>>>>>>>>>looked through the scope.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>“‘The first torpedo prematured … just before it got to the MOT
[middle
>>>>>>>>>>of the target] … and I don’t know whether the other two passed under
>>>>>>>>>>without exploding, or missed. Son of a bitch from Baghdad !’ came the
>>>>>>>>>>bitter exclamation from the skipper.” (Despite continuing torpedo
>>>>>>>>>>trouble, Jack ’s later forays were considerably more successful.)"
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Einstein soved the problem...
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>"If I were asked to state what specific
>>>>>>>>>>contributions were made by Einstein to
>>>>>>>>>>our high explosives research, I would
>>>>>>>>>>have to say this. New and more effec-
>>>>>>>>>>tive high explosives were developed dur-
>>>>>>>>>>ing the war, and they were used by the
>>>>>>>>>>Navy and the Army (which then included
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