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"The Manhattan Project began modestly in 1939, but grew to employ more than 130,000 people and cost nearly US $2 billion (about $27 billion in 2016 dollars). Ov
by Feliks 9y ago
"The Manhattan Project began modestly in 1939, but grew to employ more than 130,000 people and cost nearly US $2 billion (about $27 billion in 2016 dollars). Over 90% of the cost was for building factories and to produce fissile material, with less than 10% for development and production of the weapons."
Just to play devil's advocate, isn't this an example of tens of thousands of people employed in a massive conspiracy?
- slededit 9y agoAnd the Russians had their moles all over it. And that was with the country at war and heavily motivated to keep secrets. I don't think it's a great example.
- jackmott 9y agothey did not succeed in keeping it secret http://io9.gizmodo.com/secrets-of-the-manhattan-project-were-leaked-a-staggeri-1626524763 http://io9.gizmodo.com/secrets-of-the-manhattan-project-were...
- Jtsummers 9y agoThe canary doesn't trigger the response: This is definitely a conspiracy and so I should dismiss it. The canary should trigger the response: This seems too fantastical, what other evidence is there to back this up? It's a heuristic, it will be wrong on occasion. But if it tends to be right more often, then it's a useful heuristic for gauging how skeptical we should be about a claim.
- js8 9y agoUse whatever numbers that suit you for your own canary; I think it's more important to have one rather than to get an exact number right. The point is, if the issue is important enough, you meet enough people who you will not be able to classify as a part of the conspiracy. That's why you should put an upper bound to it. And this will (I hope) make you think about the theory.
- vonmoltke 9y agoNo. Simply hiding the existence of something does not make a conspiracy.