Plutonium: A History of the World’s Most Dangerous Element by Jeremy Bernstein (PDF)

Description

When plutonium was first manufactured at Berkeley in the spring of 1941, there was so little of it that it was not visible to the naked eye. It took a year to accumulate enough so that one could actually see it. Now so much has been produced that we don’t know what to do to get rid of it. We have created a monster.The history of plutonium is as strange as the element itself. When scientists began looking for it, they did so simply in the spirit of inquiry, not certain whether there were still spots to fill on the periodic table. But the discovery of fission made it clear that this still-hypothetical element would be more than just a scientific curiosity-it could be the main ingredient of a powerful nuclear weapon.As it turned out, it is good for almost nothing else. Plutonium’s nuclear potential put it at the heart of the World War II arms race-the Russians found out about it through espionage, the Germans through independent research, and everybody wanted some. Now it is warehoused around the world-the United States alone possesses about forty-seven metric tons-but it has almost no practical use outside its role in nuclear weaponry. How did the product of scientific curiosity become such a dangerous burden?In his history of this complex and dangerous element, noted physicist Jeremy Bernstein describes the steps that were taken to transform plutonium from a laboratory novelty into the nuclear weapon that destroyed Nagasaki. This is the first book to weave together the many strands of plutonium’s story, explaining not only the science but also the people involved.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “Bernstein spins an accessible, insightful description of how the great scientists Curie, Bohr, Rutherford, and Fermi, among others, deconstructed the atom through a combination of individual brilliance, a spirit of collaboration, and serendipity.” ― Publishers Weekly”Bernstein’s book should play a useful role by helping demystify plutonium and by encouraging interested members of the public and Congress to start constructing a more rational policy to deal with the dangers posed by this man-made element.” ― American Scientist”In Plutonium, Jeremy Bernstein acknowledges that everything connected with the element is complicated, and that includes plutonium itself and its history. Its discovery in 1941 by Glenn Seaborg and Arthur Wahl is part of a much bigger story in which each part becomes a story in itself.” ― Nature”Irony and drama shape Bernstein’s accounts of amazing feats of scientific deduction and world-endangering secrets, which give way to a sobering overview of the environmental damage caused by plutonium-producing reactors and the enormous threats embodied in today’s global plutonium inventory.” ― Booklist”Plutonium is a strong candidate for the weirdest, most fascinating, and most frightening element in the periodic table. For it to be the subject of a book by the acclaimed physicist turned science writer Jeremy Bernstein promises a great deal. Plutonium does not disappoint, even for those who think they are already familiar with the evolution of nuclear science during the twentieth century.” ― Physics World”Running through a spectrum of Nobel Prize winners, Bernstein grippingly portrays the race to develop the first nuclear weapon during World War II as well as the interplay among the global personalities involved. Readers learn that this hazardous element, good for nothing but nuclear weapon production, continues to hold us hostage with the threat of nuclear terrorism.” ― Library Journal Review “None of Jeremy Bernstein’s devoted New Yorker readers were surprised that he brought J. Robert Oppenheimer to life in his compelling biography, Oppenheimer: Portrait of an Enigma. But bringing plutonium to life―making the 94th element as interesting as ‘the father of the atomic bomb’―is science writing that borders on literary magic.” — Martin J. Sherwinco, author of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Biography From the Back Cover “None of Jeremy Bernstein’s devoted New Yorker readers were surprised that he brought J. Robert Oppenheimer to life in his compelling biography, Oppenheimer: Portrait of an Enigma. But bringing plutonium to life-making the 94th element as interesting as ‘the father of the atomic bomb’-is science writing that borders on literary magic.”-Martin J. Sherwin, coauthor of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Biography About the Author Jeremy Bernstein was a staff writer at the New Yorker for thirty-five years and is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the Stevens Institute of Technology. His books include Oppenheimer: Portrait of an Enigma. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐The book provided a easy to read background describing the discovery of PU. One does not need to be a physicist to understand the story

⭐I read about a book per week and possess a higher than average understanding of chemistry and the history of nuclear weapons. This book was difficult to read. It’s organized as I would imagine a person with ADD thoughts are processed. It doesn’t flow well and skips around almost randomly. Richard Rhodes is the gold standard on this type book, and this is nowhere close.

⭐Clean energy plans for the US and other large industrial nations continue to involve nuclear energy. The light water reactors use a mix of U-238 and about 5% fissile U-235 to start the reaction and end up with a mix of U-238 and nuclear waste, including plutonium (Pu-239). The process of radioactive decay, slow and fast neutrons, and neutron capture, result in the release of energy as well as the transmutation of elements, like turning U-238 into Pu-239.One topic the author discusses is whether to use the plutonium for other power reactors (p. 170), for nuclear weapons, or whether it should be collected with nuclear waste and vitrified, and then stored in a geological formation. In other words, “Some of the plutonium can be ‘burned,’ that is, used up in power reactors. One promising idea involves using what is known as MOX, which stands for mixed oxides.” (p. 170).On the technical level, there is a difference between “reactor plutonium” and “weapons plutonium”, but normal light water reactors produce both forms in various amounts, Pu-240 and Pu-239 (p. 116-117).In the 2020s countries are looking for sustainable energy and considering updating the aging fleet of nuclear reactors. Yet the general public keeps the nuclear energy topic in one mental category, when in fact there are a wide variety of choices of reactor design and, more particularly, of the fuels, moderators, and coolants.Since plutonium is a key part of the fuel cycle, there ought to be a a closer look at its different uses, along with an examination its extreme risks and toxicity.In some of the US nuclear weapons sites in the West clean up has been expensive, close to $10 billion (p.164). However, collecting and burning the plutonium in MOX reactors may, in a time of high energy demands, be the better route and worth the higher financial cost.The production of plutonium is inextricably linked with nuclear power. There is little public consensus over whether to collect plutonium and radioactive wastes, vitrify it, and there store it underground, or whether to mix plutonium with nuclear fuels and use it in new reactors. Even though people in the rich world have great concerns over nuclear waste, or the by-products of reactor operations, plutonium is going to be a big part of our nuclear energy future. The world needs to develop better ways to track, control, and use this material.

⭐I recently read (and reviewed)

⭐and felt that it was … well not great. It gave some history of world events, not science. It lamented certain developments and predicted others (and granted, the jury is still out on those, even if they appear less likely). It focused on politics and neglected science. It was a decent read, just … not great.This title on the other hand is different, it gives you a history of the science and some reasonably high level explanations. It doesn’t go into great depth of the math, though there are some formulas and they are not well addressed. Similarly there are notations occasionally introduced that then are not used again for a third of the book or so. And really the worst part was that the figures are often ten pages or so from where they are (first) referenced in the text. That’s why I dropped a star.However, make not mistake, this is a thin book that is packed with details. It reads like a novel and you breeze through most of it. Towards the end there is a section which is rather technical, and Bernstein does preface it indicating 1) it’s complex, 2) he’s not the best person to explain it; and he is right on both counts, but because of that preface you are forewarned and he is too modest.This isn’t a textbook on the chemistry of plutonium or the physics of atomic bombs, it feels as though there is more to this element that was missed, but the book never feels that it missed opportunities, rather it feels like it aimed for a scope and nailed it perfectly. The author is very honest about what his aims are and what the individual chapters should achieve and despite this, which sounds like it would distract, the text draws you in, the language makes you feel entertained, and aside from one slip up that grated because he refers to the USA as “we”, the book just never lets up.That this reference to us Americans is so grating should be taken as a positive. For the most part you don’t notice the language or tone, but this one instance stands out against the entire book, which should be a testament to the “smoothness”. You are reading a history book, but it feels like a documentary made for TV.The text is a basic introduction to plutonium with a strong focus on the scientific progress of nuclear physics (predominantly) with some focus on chemistry and quantum mechanics, but the later is only called upon when necessary. All concepts are reasonably well explained, though there is more to this but that’s well beyond the scope of the book. Even if you have a background in chemistry (or physics) odds are if you don’t know much about the discovery of elements, research into radioactivity and uranium and beyond, this will be a good primer. There is much more that could be written on this subject, but again, within the scope that is set to be covered, one can not really complain. Keep in mind this is about 170 pages of text with further readings and so forth taking you up to the total the product description lists.The book is very accessible and readable for anyone from high school age to anything beyond that.

⭐Hugely disappointing book. Written in a haphazard manner with no integrity in the overall narrative. Hardly draws the reader into the story. Sketchy details, lengthy digressions and barely covers the scientific side of the history. Ranks amongst the worst scientific history books I have read. You would be better served by listening to some engaging podcasts on the topic rather than wasting a dime on this book.

⭐Brought this as a present, got good feedback as a interesting book. Arrived well packed and on time.

⭐This book goes through the nuclear discovery age along with personal details and anecdotes of the scientists. There are also good tries to explain some of the quantum physics involved in the special characteristics of the trans uranium elements, always with special focus on plutonium, its always on sight. Author is familiar with some of the Manhattan project team members and brings some first hand memories, and in some way it limits the scope of the book as it seems its focused on that personal acknowledge and no further than that.As some reviewers mention, some critical plutonium events are not mentioned on the book.Theres some peculiar style in the book, which keeps telling whats coming next and whats before, which is little annoying and could be easily corrected.

⭐Questo è un libro molto affascinante e, soprattutto, scritto in un inglese impeccabile e davvero di facile lettura.L’autore parte con una sezione storica che poi si è rivelata la parte più interessante del libro. Per chi è all’asciutto della storia del nucleare questo è un libro essenziale. Paradossalmente la parte che poi si concentra proprio sul plutonio è quella che mi è piaciuta di meno e che mi ha spinto a non dare 5 stelle.Ad ogni modo mi sento di suggerire l’acquisto per la leggerezza con cui vengono trattati argomenti anche molto complessi (a parte qualche punto nel quale l’autore poteva impegnarsi un po’ di più a spiegare con maggiore chiarezza alcuni argomenti).

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⭐Un testo ricco di dettagli e di curiosità su un elemento che … non esiste.In inglese, molto comprensibile.Alla portata di tutti.Molto consigliato.

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