McClenahan: Women Played Vital Roles In Manhattan Project From Scientists To Technicians To Moms Los Alamos Historical Society The public and even some historians often have a romantic view of the Manhattan Project: A few brilliant scientists with thick glasses, dressed in white coats, working feverishly, yet often alone in laboratories where a few “eureka” moments led to the development of the world’s first atomic bombs. The real story is much more complex, involving more people and more programs than most history books share. Alex Wellerstein, a historian of the Manhattan Project and...