Original version

BBC World Service News Internet

The Bomb

Podcasts

Factual: History

The story of the atomic bomb. Told through the scientists and spies who changed history

The story of the atomic bomb. Told through the scientists and spies who changed history. The race to beat the Nazis and stolen secrets.

The story of the atomic bomb. Told through the scientists and spies who changed history. Season 1 follows the scientist who discovers the destructive possibilities of harnessing nuclear power. It leads to the race to beat the Nazis to the first atomic bomb. Season 2 tells of a brilliant scientist who lives a double life, stealing atomic secrets for the Soviet Union. Season 3 is coming soon.

No Master Brand

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC Afghan Radio

The Bomb: The first atomic bomb

22/11/2023 GMT

The first atomic bomb

BBC World Service - The Bomb, The first atomic bomb

To listen online, visit bbcworldservice.com/thebomb

Christopher Nolan's Hollywood film Oppenheimer tells the story of the father of the atomic bomb. And one of the other key players in the creation of the bomb was the scientist Leo Szilard – he was instrumental to both the creation of the bomb, and later, the fight to stop it being used. The writer Emily Strasser’s family was involved too, and she tells the story of the chain reaction onwards from the splitting of the atom.

Time is running out. As Manhattan Project scientists test the world’s first nuclear bomb, Leo Szilard knows it’s the last chance to stop the US government from dropping the bomb on Japanese civilians. Working with colleagues at Chicago’s Met Lab, Szilard does all he can to alert the US president. But will his message get there in time?

#thebomb

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Bomb

The first atomic bomb

Genres

Brand

BBC World Service News Internet

About BBC World Service