Destroyer of Worlds

Destroyer of Worlds [email protected] Thu, 06/11/2026 - 13:14 Speaker: Professor Frank Close OBE FRS CPhys FInstP, University of Oxford. Was Marie Curie really the greatest female physicist of the early 20th century? Could the atomic energy contained in a kilogramme of radium really drive a ship across the Atlantic? Did a traffic light near the Royal Institution really give Leo Szilard his idea of the chain reaction? And was Oppenheimer really the “father of the atomic bomb”? This talk reveals how Henry Becquerel’s accidental discovery, in 1896, of a faint smudge on a photographic plate sparked a chain of discoveries which would unleash the atomic age and reveals some of the myths that have grown around this saga. Based on Frank Close’s new book, Destroyer of Worlds, the talk is the story of how pursuit of this hidden nuclear power source, which began innocently and collaboratively, was overwhelmed by the politics of the 1930s, and following devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki opened the way to a still more terrible possibility: a thermonuclear bomb, the so-called “backyard weapon”, that could destroy all life on earth – from anywhere. For those who saw the movie Oppenheimer, this evening's talk is effectively “Oppenheimer the prequel and sequel”. About the speaker Frank Close is Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics, and Fellow Emeritus at Exeter College, University of Oxford. Frank's book, "Destroyer of Worlds: The Deep History of the Nuclear Age 1895-1965" , will be available to purchase by cash at the talk. Part of the IOP London and South East (LSE) region Spring / Summer 2026 General Public Physics Talk Series. The lecture is free and open to all but registration is required. Please register via the ' Book Now ' button. About the Venue The venue can be found on the A340 Basingstoke to Newbury Road, just before the Heath End Roundabout at Tadley. The correct gate is signposted West Gate or AWE Staff + Deliveries. what3words: amending.visitors.simulations Wed, 09/02/2026 - 19:00 Wed, 09/02/2026 - 20:30 William Penney Theatre, Aldermaston Recreational Society, AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, Berkshire RG7 4PR. IOP London and South East Branch, Berkshire Centre [email protected] General public IOP members Retired physicists (REMNet) STEM professionals Culture, history and society Environment and energy Instrumentation and measurement Particle and nuclear In-person London and South East