Recorded at CHAIN:16
Innovation in a Closed World: Telling the Remarkable story of Cold War military projects in the UK
Jonathan Aylen introduced the Newcomen Society and talked on “Innovation in a Closed World”, telling the remarkable story of development of military projects in the UK during the Cold War. He showed how digital control was pioneered in Wythenshawe, Manchester during the early 1960’s. He also discussed the even more unlikely story of the engineering behind the first atomic bomb in Britain. (A hot water bottle manufacturer in Barnsley supplied vital components!) His talk draws on two recent papers published in the Newcomen Society’s journal, the International Journal for the History of Engineering and Technology. These papers were based on extensive interviews with the engineers concerned.
Video kindly recorded by the IET Greater Manchester Young Professionals