The Basis of Everything: Rutherford, Oliphant and the Coming of the Atomic Bomb
The Basis of Everything: Rutherford, Oliphant and the Coming of the Atomic Bomb
Andrew Ramsey. HarperCollins, 2019
Hardback with dust jacket, 384 pages. Excellent condition
Before the Manhattan Project, before nuclear warfare and the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there was the twentieth century's great scientific quest to fathom the secrets of the atom. It was through that search for the inner workings of matter that a unique friendship was forged, a partnership that defied academic orthodoxy and altered the course of history. The Basis of Everything is the story of the coming of the atomic bomb, and how the unlikely union of two scientists - Ernest Rutherford, the son of a New Zealand farmer, and Mark Oliphant, a peace-loving vegetarian from a tiny Australian hills village - would change the world.
Poll: Is it rude to talk on the phone on a bus?
Buses can be a relaxing way to get home if you have a seat and enough space. However, it can be off-putting when someone is taking a phone call next to you.
Do you think it's inconsiderate for people to have lengthy phone calls on a bus? Vote in the poll, and add your comments below.
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64.2% Yes
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33.4% No
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2.4% Other - I'll share below
Poll: Have you ever tried learning a language?
Hannah Westbury likes to chat with customers at her checkout - so much so that she’s learning sign language for one regular.
Paeroa-based Westbury has worked in Woolworths for the past seven years and moved to checkout a year ago.
Have you ever tried learning a language? Tell us about it in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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46.2% Yes
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53.8% No
What would you do if it was your job to fix Hamilton's CBD?
More alcohol restrictions, more lighting, busking rule changes and a whole lot of lobbying - these are some ways Hamilton leaders want to sort out the CBD.
Crime and anti-social behaviour in the area has been in the spotlight after recent news of a man defecating in the street near a city pub and another who flipped tables out the back of a bar after being found scrounging cigarette butts and asked to leave.
What would you do if it was your job to fix Hamilton's CBD? Tell us your reasons in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).