Einstein atomic bomb letter to be auctioned

A letter from Albert Einstein, which urged the United States to develop the world's first nuclear bombs, is set to be auctioned. The letter, written to President Franklin D Roosevelt in 1939, warns that Nazi Germany might be able to create such weapons and suggests that the US should begin its own atomic program. Three years later, America initiated the Manhattan Project, which led to the first use of atomic weapons against Japan in 1945. The letter is part of an auction of items that belonged to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 65. 'Personal computing would not have existed without him. ' His personal collection will be on sale at Christie's in New York in September. There will be a variety of items reflecting his interest in and influence on computing, but the Einstein letter is expected to be the centerpiece. It has been given an estimated value of between $4 million and $6 million. The letter was actually written by Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard with assistance from other scientists, but it was signed by Einstein because his status as one of the greatest scientific figures of all time made it more likely to capture the president's attention. Dated 2 August 1939, just weeks before the Second World War was declared, it warns that Germany may have discovered the science to create a nuclear bomb. 'It is conceivable - though much less certain - that extremely powerful bombs of a new type may thus be constructed,' it states. However, Einstein is reported to have later regretted the letter due to its role in making America the only country at the time to develop nuclear weapons. 'Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an atomic bomb, I would never have lifted a finger. ' Also being auctioned is a computer from 1971, a DEC PDP-10: KI-10 model which Mr. Allen helped restore. Christie's says this is similar to a model which he would have worked on with Bill Gates when they founded Microsoft. These types of computers were crucial in the development of early forms of the internet. The computer is expected to fetch between $30,000 and $50,000. Additionally, a spacesuit belonging to astronaut Ed White, who became the first American to perform a spacewalk in 1965, has an estimated value of $80,000 to $120,000. In 2022, Mr. Allen's art collection set a new world record by raising over $1. 5 billion. It included works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Vincent Van Gogh. It was his wish that the proceeds would go to philanthropic causes. During his lifetime, he donated more than $2 billion to charitable causes, established art and culture museums, and also owned various American sports teams. His net worth at the time of his death was estimated at over $20 billion.