Above all the difficulty is not creating the bomb, all the theory is relatively simple and like you said understood by most physics students but there are a lot of other factors especially the calibrations required to get the reaction going.
You could smack plutonium together all you want if you don't get it right it won't blow.
That's part of the reason for extensive nuclear tests.
Well that and the feeling of power when you see and island disappear.
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Above all the difficulty is not creating the bomb, all the theory is relatively simple and like you said understood by most physics students but there are a lot of other factors especially the calibrations required to get the reaction going. You could smack plutonium together all you want if you don't get it right it won't blow. That's part of the reason for extensive nuclear tests. Well that and the feeling of power when you see and island disappear.