Summaries

A television adaptation of Michael Frayn's celebrated and award-winning stage play about the meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg in 1941 Copenhagen. At this time the young Heisenberg was leading a faltering German research program into nuclear energy, while the middle-aged and apparently isolated Bohr was in contact with allied agents, and still held a position of great influence in the nuclear physics research community. After the meeting the two men put different interpretations or impressions of why Heisenberg requested the meeting, and what he hoped to gain from it, a theme which mirrors the ambiguity of the "Copenhagen" interpretation widely used in quantum physics. Did Heisenberg go to the avuncular Bohr to seek his blessing for his role in nuclear research? Why did Heisenberg concentrate on the development of a nuclear reactor, and not perform the calculations which would show that a bomb could be made to work via a fast-neutron reaction in Uranium 235? These and other questions feature in the plot, although unsurprisingly there are few certain answers.—Simon Shearn

Details

Keywords
  • physicist
  • atomic power development
  • nuclear research
  • theoretical physicist
  • male male friendship
Genres
  • Drama
  • History
  • War
Release date Sep 26, 2002
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) Not Rated
Countries of origin United Kingdom
Official sites PBS
Language English
Filming locations Copenhagen, Denmark
Production companies British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) KCET

Box office

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 30m
Color Color
Sound mix Stereo
Aspect ratio 1.33 : 1

Synopsis

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