tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568915967186844196.post9219082182518468118..comments2024-03-26T14:19:33.332-07:00Comments on Bench Grass: Big Science and Big Bombs: A Technical Appendix to Postblogging Technology, July 1949, II; Erik Lundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05728486209757153685noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568915967186844196.post-86979973016960949682019-10-26T15:37:33.330-07:002019-10-26T15:37:33.330-07:00"Tiresome?" I'm reminded of exciting..."Tiresome?" I'm reminded of exciting <i>Engineering</i> articles about the geometry of screw threads and the comparative strength thereof. <br /><br />Fertel was working on the 60" cyclotron, old hat by January of 1949, but was probably recruited with an eye to working on the positron synchrotron, first proposed by Oliphant in 1943, but which only achieved a full power beam in 1952. <br /><br />Everyone's incredibly reticent about this. I don't know whether it's because the details of everyday acclerator work are deemed incredibly boring, or it's because the lads were shooting protons at uranium atoms to see what hot uranium plasma does. Besides the obvious, I mean. I imagine they <i>were</i>, because there was a lot to learn about the subject, back in the day. My fevered imagination is disappointed to discover that Fertel's death was due to a long-overdue appointment with a live wire, and not a radiation accident. Oh, Fifties physicists with your casual disregard for occupational safety.Erik Lundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05728486209757153685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568915967186844196.post-71395727042828853922019-10-25T14:45:43.734-07:002019-10-25T14:45:43.734-07:00(If no French, back from taking part in an expedit...(If no French, back from taking part in an expedition and bored, he decided to climb over the cyclotron rather than walk around it, and touched a high voltage wire.) He also made left-handed wood screws to annoy people who begged him for parts, which is real dedication to being a tiresome practical joker.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17153530634675543954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568915967186844196.post-29111557911618907512019-10-25T14:38:51.248-07:002019-10-25T14:38:51.248-07:00Fertel? His obituary in Nature is here:https://www...Fertel? His obituary in Nature is here:https://www.nature.com/articles/163276a0.pdf<br /><br />Imperial College, Admiralty radar researcher.<br /><br />A personal rememberance:<br /><br />http://www.bristol.ac.uk/physics/media/histories/13-tindall.pdf<br /><br />He was also a caving pioneer, and this leads us to detail of his tragically stupid end.<br /><br />https://books.google.it/books?id=AcoOCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT74&lpg=PT74&dq=Geoffrey+Fertel&source=bl&ots=famUiAGWJQ&sig=ACfU3U0eAoqKaWVkxNzjtjHDnJfhn3ov0Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjczo_trbjlAhXhsaQKHUoCCg0Q6AEwBnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Geoffrey%20Fertel&f=falseAlexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17153530634675543954noreply@blogger.com