Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

GP: Fachverband Geschichte der Physik

GP 10: Sowjetunion

GP 10.4: Talk

Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 10:50–11:15, HSZ 204

Cold War in the Periphery: Greek Physicists on Atomic Energy after World War II. — •George N. Vlahakis — Institute for Neohellenic Research, Athens

This paper examines the views of the Greek physicists on the concept of Atomic Energy and its possible applications after World War II, especially during the period of the Cold War. We intend to present the opinions of professors of physics in the Greek Universities like D. Hondros, once student of A. Sommerfeld and collaborator of P. Debye in the early days of his career, as well as to discuss the policy of the Greek government for the establishment of a research institute devoted to the development of the atomic energy. A survey of the public opinion on the subject as it was presented on the daily press of this period will be also given.. In the last part of the paper we discuss the argument that even when the conditions are favorable for a country of the scientific and political periphery to move towards the centre, this seems to be rather impossible.