Part 5/9:
With the outbreak of World War II, von Neumann redirected his focus toward the development of explosives and ballistics, eventually becoming a vital contributor to the Manhattan Project. He perfected the implosion mechanism used in the atomic bomb “Fat Man,” as well as contributed to strategic decisions about the use of atomic bombs on Japan. Despite recognizing the monumental destruction these weapons would cause, he rationalized their deployment as a protective measure against Stalin’s potential threats to America.