The Haber Process C2 3.8 What do scientists think about when they are not thinking about science?

“I am become death, the destroyer of worlds” These were the words J. Robert Oppenheimer said when he saw the first atomic bomb explosion in Oppenheimer has been called ‘The Father of the Atomic Bomb’ because he directed the project that built the first bomb.

Oppenheimer was not the first scientist faced with difficult choices – to do research into weapons or to let your country be invaded. Fritz Haber was another scientist who developed a terrible weapon – poison gas used in World War 1. And yet the same man who did this also made possible large-scale production of nitrogenous fertilisers. These fertilisers will have saved many people from starvation by increasing food production. So, are scientists like Oppenheimer and Haber heroes or villains? And what about the staff who worked for them?

Results are in from the first tests. Yield of ammonia has gone up dramatically now that we can increase the pressure safely. Lots of celebrations at the lab! If this multiplies up into the large- scale reactor we should be able to produce tonnes of gas every day! And that means we can make as much fertiliser as we want without having to rely on imports of guano from Chile th Jan

Some government officials at the lab today. Military types. Spent a lot of time with Haber behind locked doors. He wore his uniform today - never a good sign. I’ve learnt not to let my feelings show at work but Hans and I had a drink after work and we agreed that it doesn’t look good. Word from the front is bad as well. Apparently casualties are up - even though the official news is that we are winning th Feb

Lab meeting today. We are going to stop the ammonia work for now to concentrate on‘military research’ of ‘national importance’. They’ve started delivering cylinders of chlorine, so maybe they’ve found a way to make explosives from that? I don’t like it but it was made quite clear it wasn’t up for discussion. Hans was told he could do the work as directed or ‘volunteer’ for duty at the front line.I suppose some of the data from the experiments could be useful for the real work on ammonia when this war is over rd Feb

Hans did not turn up for work today. He was down to do some of the analysis on reactor 7 so I had to cover that one and my own work. I asked where he was and was told he had ‘decided to join the frontline effort’. I didn’t ask any more questions. Tried to call in on Lotta, Hans’ fiancee, on the way back from the lab. No answer at her flat. The papers are talking about massacres of civilians by the English and French forces. They sound like animals. I wonder if the only way to protect my wife and kids is to support Haber’s ‘military research’? th Mar

I know what the chlorine is for now - poison gas! They used 168 tonnes of the gas at Ypres and killed or wounded up to 10,000 troops. It must be an awful way to die. I don’t think I can carry on with this work but if I don’t I’ll be given a rifle and sent off to the front. Heard today that Hans won’t be coming back - shot within two days of getting to the front th Apr

What should Gerhart do? Leave Haber’s laboratory immediately and have nothing more to do with the work. Attempt to undermine the work - perhaps by sabotaging some experiments, falsifying results or even destroying crucial equipment? Get on with his work… All’s fair in love and war! Get on with his work and hope that when the war is over the technology can be used for peaceful purposes that will benefit humanity. What would you do? Are there any other options?