Robert+Oppenheimer

Robert Oppenheimer Jack Binsted

 ** Robert Oppenheimer:  ** Robert Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist. He is often called the "father of the atomic bomb" for his role as the scientific director of the Manhattan Project, the World War II project that developed the first nuclear weapons. Oppenheimer made many breakthroughs in the area of physics and nuclear science, not all relating to the development of the atomic bomb. He made many important contributions to theories of neutron stars and black holes, as well as quantum physics, however his most notable development was the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer was put in charge of the Manhattan project in 1943 to develop the atomic bomb, and was noted for his astounding leadership of the project. Scientifically, he was noted to understand and contribute to every concept that was put forward. On various occasions he coordinated the complete shift in approach to the development of the weapon, such as from a plutonium gun-type fission weapon to the uranium-235 model that became the “Little Boy”, or the model for the atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima. Often, his students made many of the actual physics related ideas towards the development, as there were so many of them working on the project, but it is said that Oppenheimer’s contribution to ideas and overriding authority allowed the project to become a “success”. He is attributed with his contributions to the study of the fast chain neutron reaction in the atomic bomb, which was one of his key scientific ideas.
 * Key Ideas: **

In the development of the atomic bomb, Oppenheimer was partly responsible for one of the largest influences and changes to ways of thinking in human history. The whole essence of the ‘After the Bomb’ period was derived from the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WW2. Every way of thinking of this period was a result of the weapon; the Cold War attitudes and the way in which humans viewed death and war was a result of the atomic bomb development and detonation. However it is not fair or correct to say that Oppenheimer is solely responsible for the creation/development of the atomic bomb and the paradigm shift. The Manhattan Project was previously theorised and devised by The National Defence Committee, which was approved by President Roosevelt. Brigadier Groves was director of the Manhattan project and had invited Oppenheimer to lead the research in the weapons laboratory (a very surprising decision as Oppenheimer was not known to be politically aligned with the conservative military). Therefore, the void had already been created and would have been filled with another scientist had Oppenheimer not been suitable for the position. What he helped to create though, would later produce an enormous impact in the way that the world was viewed. All ways of thinking that are studied and characterised by the Cold War period, and even to this day, were a result of the Atomic bomb. The sudden capability that man now had in the form of destruction and annihilation was enormous, and recognised on a world scale, hence the paranoia and fear that characterised the Cold War period. The development of the weapon has instilled immense and dangerous capabilities into the human conscious, which consequently has changed the way in which we perceive the functions of humanity.
 * Key ways of thinking:  **

Having noted Oppenheimer’s occupation and contribution to the development of the atomic bomb, it is clear to see that the link to the core texts is instrumental. Without Oppenheimer and the development of the weapon, there would have probably not been a Cold War, and therefore would not have resulted in the composition of such texts as “Spy” and “Catch”. These texts are completely centred on the ‘After the Bomb’ theme and the period and attitudes surrounding the WW2, the bombing of Hiroshima and the Cold War, and so you could speculate that it was because of Oppenheimer, partly, that these texts were ever composed. The motivation for such texts of the period to be written was derived from the effect of the atomic bomb on the global society.
 * Link to core texts: **