🚀 go-pugleaf

(note: I tried replying direct to the person who first wrote back
to me, but the system refused to take his address.  A problem
we've all encountered once or twice...)

<numerous message error handling notes deleted...>

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554 tffreeba@ivax... The site ivax does not exist in our domain

To: tffreeba@ivax
Subject: Re: numerous/ 1:ASAT 2:Water 3:misquotes
Newsgroups: sci.space
References: <Bzpyuw.MIG.1@cs.cmu.edu> <1992Dec24.001733.201@ivax>

The bit about calling the process the "Manhattan Project" has become so
entrenched that you have to look har d to find it referred to by it's true
name.
  
The (unfrotunately) late Isaac Asimov used to comment about this specific
mis-naming frequently in his columns, generally in the science articles he
wrote for Fantasy and Science Fiction.  I'll try to dig up a referenence
or two from my pile.

Other places the correct name appears are pretty rare.  Generally, if you
can find material written or produced immediately after the War, you'll
find proper mention.

For example, the movie "Beginning or the End" which is a
semi-fictionalized documentary of the program has the top people sitting
around the table.  The actor playing General Groves says "You'll be
working on the Manhattan District.  Project 'Y' is uranium purification,
project 'X' is the bomb site."  (this is not the exact quote from the
movie, but the DISTRICT vs. PROJECT distinction is correct)
  
Or, more recently, NOVA did a segment on SZILARD, one of the prime
scientists in the undertaking.  In the interviews with various
contemporiaries (damn, I forget who they spoke to/with), they constantly
refer to it as the Manhattan DISTRICT.

take care
danny

<dannyb@panix.com>
or
<dburstein@mcimail.com> <----direct e-mail address