october canadian american theoretical physicist later surviving people worked manhattan_project world war briefly president graduate 1930s studied physics followed year ahead accepted graduate student leading theoretical physicist united_states time received doctorate joined physics department joined manhattan_project university_of_chicago recruited join effort build nuclear having recommended theory resource formed manhattan_project early recruits join generally credited insight solid sub critical mass compressed great earlier concepts requiring hollow shells insight solid core model referred pit war briefly joined department recruited join faculty decided practical resume academic activities stayed academic career serving acting president turned attention creating practical models stellar operation work awarded medal royal astronomical society 1980s 1990s participated extended effort better understand actual radiation exposure japanese bombs basis learning better understand medical risks radiation exposure early life born vancouver british_columbia son electrical engineer wife née school teacher named robert maternal great uncle frederick second husband maternal grandmother older brother john born changed family surname deed poll august november accidentally work died surgery brother cared grandmother great aunt educated graduating highest examination score province british_columbia awarded governor general importantly view family limited ability pay free tuition attend award dinner met second place winner dated received bachelor_of_arts degree mathematics physics class honors master arts degree writing thesis electron attachment negative formation oxygen friend year ahead accepted graduate student led active school theoretical physics united_states time inspired apply accepted awarded fellowship year berkeley shared apartment wife thesis look particles called today recently found cosmic rays called larger smaller help performed detailed calculations particle spin published papers formed basis doctor philosophy phd thesis manhattan_project graduated teaching assistant left income found post physics department married sons born born paid month teach hours week months abreast developments physics attended university_of_chicago brought attention hired money paying time research assistant commencing january team columbia_university arrived university_of_chicago january effort concentrate manhattan_project work new arranged join group building nuclear called pile court field university_of_chicago construction began november present chicago went critical december early joined new_mexico american citizen head theoretical division detailed assist projects laboratory knowledge assignment help group water boiler intended laboratory instrument test critical mass calculations effect materials use enriched fuel use liquid fuel form dissolved water estimated require grams pure figure subsequently revised grams went critical grams accuracy figures raised laboratory confidence division calculations discovery group april high levels produced meant type nuclear weapon required studies indicated extremely difficult achieve august calculations ideal spherical work problem work real world jets problem worked studied theory suggested possibility solid core form critical mass compressed ultra conservative design solved problem jets force known pit laboratory bomb solid pit efficient hollow pit required start chain reaction worked develop suitable design known trinity nuclear test fat man atomic bombing nagasaki pits later life agree number oral history video interviews discussed role manhattan_project interests later life war ended accepted assistant university_of_chicago salary twice making war moved chicago february suitable housing hard find immediate post war period family shared mansion family war spent year teaching berkeley students trip california year continue studying war decided additional responsibilities longer continue arrangement head asked theoretical physicist recommend replacement recommended approached offer time position accepted remain rest academic career working theoretical physicist heavy workload fell recognised pay raise joined joined faculty detailed study western_europe defended soviet_union distraught outcome security hearing encountered testified publicly refused shake hand viewed god later recalled sure person asked relationship said seen time time relationship remained cool time disagreed number areas example strategic defense initiative disagreed argued publicly operates different level presidents merely disagree privately way number scientists publicly called ban atmospheric nuclear testing partial nuclear test ban treaty advocated end unusual projects worked design spacecraft propelled atomic bombs year princeton_university began investigation smaller classes variable stars time mystery varied knowledge gained war explain phenomenon earned medal contributions theoretical appointed vice president president expanded added economics allow students education appointed vice president steered financially stringent 1970s women admitted 1970s hired refused tenure filed suit pressed case settled given tenure ruled adding paid male colleagues received tenure romantically involved fellow physicist years junior divorced early married august daughters born born briefly acting president brown left secretary defense returned teaching president institute professor emeritus died october survived wife daughters sons peter buried mountain view cemetery california
Robert F. Christy