Hey, I read a really REALLY interesting story, but alas, the ending has not yet been revealed. I know there are some sharp physics and history types on the SDMB who would probably know these answers.
For some years there has been considerable debate over whether Heisenberg deliberately stalled the Nazi atom bomb project, or merely just miscalculated, or perhaps any number of other scenarios. This was recently the subject of a Broadway play called “Copenhagen.” Apparently Niels Bohr visited Heisenberg in the midst of the war and neither Heisenberg or Bohr ever revealed what they discussed. Apparently it was their final falling-out with each other.
BUT NOW… Amidst the renewed interest in this question due to the play, the NYTimes released a story (alas it’s now in the paid archives, just search for “heisenberg copenhagen”) with astonishing news. A few years ago, it was revealed by Bohr’s descendents that a letter had been discovered in his archives. Bohr apparently wrote a letter to Heisenberg just after the war ended, it was such a strong letter that he decided not to send it, but he did not destroy it, he left it in his archives. The family discovered it after his death, but after reading it, they were so shocked that they decided to keep it a complete secret.
Nobody has revealed what the letter says. Apparently it addresses the historical record as much as it does Heisenberg. Upon the discovery of the letter, it was shown to a committee of physicists who were asked what should be done with the letter. Apparently the contents are very dramatic and the 3 physicists are in utter turmoil about it.
Now according to the story, the committee decided to release the letter’s contents to the public, the letter was scheduled to be released within the month. But now it’s been a couple of months and I’ve heard nothing.
So… the question is… What’s in that darn letter that has everyone so upset? Has the letter been released, and if so, where can I read it? Or at the minimum, where can I get more info, a summary of the letter at least? I googled and came up with nothing except floods of old history, nothing new. I’m dying to hear the rest of the story.