logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2022
6m 21s

The Manhattan Project

BBC Radio
About this episode

Learn about the invention of the atomic bomb

Up next
Oct 8
Are people drinking less alcohol?
In recent generations many people have chosen to stop drinking alcohol. Surveys from the UK suggest that 16 to 24-year-olds are more likely to be non-drinkers than the older generations. Many people are sharing their experience of drinking less alcohol or being completely sober o ... Show More
6m 49s
Oct 1
Why does heartbreak hurt so much?
Anyone who has had their heart broken will know how horrible it feels. But did you know that the pain you feel is not just imaginary – it registers in the same part of the brain that processes physical pain. So, why do we feel this pain? And if it feels so bad, what is the point ... Show More
6m 33s
Sep 24
Why do we itch?
Feeling itchy is unpleasant, and the feeling of finally scratching that itch can be very satisfying! But why do we feel itchy in the first place? And is it possible to catch an itch from someone else? Neil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.6 Minute Englis ... Show More
6m 22s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
The Manhattan Project
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the race to build an atom bomb in the USA during World War Two. Before the war, scientists in Germany had discovered the potential of nuclear fission and scientists in Britain soon argued that this could be used to make an atom bomb, against which ... Show More
48m 20s
Oct 2021
The Manhattan Project
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the race to build an atom bomb in the USA during World War Two. Before the war, scientists in Germany had discovered the potential of nuclear fission and scientists in Britain soon argued that this could be used to make an atom bomb, against which ... Show More
48m 20s
Oct 2021
The Manhattan Project
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the race to build an atom bomb in the USA during World War Two. Before the war, scientists in Germany had discovered the potential of nuclear fission and scientists in Britain soon argued that this could be used to make an atom bomb, against which ... Show More
48m 20s
Jun 2025
The Manhattan Project
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 ... Show More
1h 1m
Aug 2019
The World and Nuclear Weapons
Today's Spotlight looks at who has nuclear weapons, who does not, and why these bombs exist. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spotlight-english--4065149/support.Check out more Spotlight English content at: www.SpotlightEnglish.com 
15 m
Jul 2023
CultureLab: Oppenheimer – The rise and fall of the “father of the atomic bomb”
First J. Robert Oppenheimer created the weapon, then he fought for years to warn of its dangers. During the second world war, the so-called “father of the atomic bomb”, led a team of scientists in the US in a race against Nazi Germany to create the first nuclear weapon. Then it w ... Show More
27m 52s
Sep 2022
The Atomic Bomb & the Secret City
<p>In 1939 Franklin D Roosevelt received a letter from Albert Einstein, warning him&nbsp;that the&nbsp;Nazis&nbsp;might be developing nuclear weapons. America has to act fast.</p><br><p>What follows is the creation of a secret city in the rural area of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Aroun ... Show More
31m 15s
Sep 2022
The Atomic Bomb & the Secret City
<p>In 1939 Franklin D Roosevelt received a letter from Albert Einstein, warning him&nbsp;that the&nbsp;Nazis&nbsp;might be developing nuclear weapons. America has to act fast.</p><br><p>What follows is the creation of a secret city in the rural area of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Aroun ... Show More
27m 28s
Sep 2020
S1.6 The first atomic bomb
Time is running out. As Manhattan Project scientists test the world’s first nuclear bomb, Leo Szilard knows it’s the last chance to stop the US government from dropping the bomb on Japanese civilians. Working with colleagues at Chicago’s Met Lab, Szilard does all he can to alert ... Show More
26m 15s
Dec 2018
The Manhattan Project
After the U.S. military dropped the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world roared with questions: what long-term health risks could atomic weapons carry? How did the Soviet Union build their own bomb so quickly? And did the Manhattan Project's scientists have hel ... Show More
52m 18s