Topic+17+(Einstein)

Albert Einstein was a Nobel Prize winning scientist who worked on the Manhattan project committee. In 1905, Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity, which was used to relate mass to energy. His theory showed that even a small amount of fissile material could generate a catastrophic explosion. This was later used to calculate the power from a nuclear device. After Hitler came to power in Germany, Einstein, a Jew, was able to see the danger in staying in Germany. He quickly left the country for the United States, where he received a warm welcome, having already been made famous. Einstein was pivotal in starting the Manhattan Project; Leo Szilard believed his authority was great enough to convince Roosevelt to look into a weapons project. Thus, he was the one who drafted the first letter to Roosevelt, dubbed the Einstein letter, which convinced Roosevelt to create the Manhattan project. (Sullivan 16)