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Okay, so I have this nebulous anecdote in my memory, which I recall coming from a reliable source at the time, but I don't remember where--and I've been trying desperately to find the historical details and am coming up with absolutely nothing.
The premise was that the editor of a heavy mathematics journal, or a science magazine/newsletter of some kind, immediately knew about the Manhattan Project when it started--or perhaps a different Secret Thing, but I do think it was the Manhattan Project--because he noticed an abnormal number of his subscribers changing their mailing address to Los Alamos within a few weeks of each other.
I've googled every combination of words I can think of to locate the origins of, or any reference to, this story. I will throw myself prostrate at the feet of anyone who can help.
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I feel like I heard that story as well, but timeline wise wasn't Oak Ridge first? Some podcast maybe.
Interesting photos:
This rabbit hole is pretty serious.
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The Soviets were in pretty early.
Their study for the C.I.A. journal reported that Mr. Seborer joined the United States Army in October 1942 and was assigned to the Oak Ridge complex in Tennessee, a giant industrial arm of the Manhattan Project that became its headquarters. He was transferred to Los Alamos in 1944.
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Ah! This is exactly it. This thread includes both the details of the urban legend, and a breakdown of whether it might actually be true. Thanks!
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Coincidentally, I listened to this podcast a while back which explained the story of a Russian spy who basically figured out what was going on.