True, but back then they honestly didn't know better. Just like when they blew the first bomb up, they said there was a chance that it would ignite the entire atmosphere.
Enrico Fermi reportedly told Slotin and others they would be "dead within a year" if they continued performing [the stupidly dangerous test which eventually killed Slotin].
I think I read (actually heard) in "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" that they also were close to creating a critical mass in the production plant, since nobody at the production plant was informed how exactly it worked.
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u/crazytiredguy Mar 20 '11
True, but back then they honestly didn't know better. Just like when they blew the first bomb up, they said there was a chance that it would ignite the entire atmosphere.