> || From: ravi
>
> || hakki, || || i posted y'day a link to the actual letters
> themselves from the bohr || archive. i do not see, from a reading
> of the letters, how the || controversy is any further resolved than
> before.
>
> The letters are only part of the story.
>
my point is an extension of that. there is a story that tries to show that heisenberg's version is wrong and further, as you seem to claim, he was an enthusiastic nazi. these letters dont reveal anything more than what is already stated in that story (the letters confirm what is stated as bohr's view in the various versions of the incident).
> Maybe Heisenberg was out of practice. In 1935, the Nazis declared
> quantum physics and relativity "Jewish science" and banned it.
> Werner didn't object or leave. Not surprising, since Werner was a
> fascist since 17. He'd taken part in the bloody suppression of the
> Bavarian soviet in 1918.
can your provide more details on this and H's fascist connections? lot of people did not up and leave but is that reason enough to call them nazi? where do you stand on the nazi accusations against the other H: heidegger?
> But Bohr's letter catches Werner at his game, and nails down his
> position for all to see: Heisenberg was trying his damnedest to make
> an A-bomb to win the war for Hitler. He just wasn't any good at it.
again, i do not see how bohr's letters does this. bohr says:
a) H and W's visit was clearly motivated by their concern for bohr and co's well-being.
b) H believed that the nazis would win the war and felt that it would be better for bohr to be more receptive to them.
c) H says he was working on the german a-bomb project and was aware of the necessary details (H has not denied that he was working on the project). further H says that he believes if the war lasts long enough it will be resolved by means such as the use of an a-bomb.
d) bohr finds that there was no indication in H's words that he (H) was working to retard the german project (a view that bohr has stated before and is documented i.e., the letters do not introduce this view of bohr's).
e) in a later visit to copenhagen jensen informed bohr that the german physicists were looking for radioactive elements for energy generation purposes.
f) W made some remark about how H's work would lead to the german victory (this is the only damning piece i see).
so we are left with W's remark and bohr's feeling that H said nothing that conveyed to bohr that H was attempting to slow down german a-bomb research.
--ravi