Now, I Am Become Death, The Destroyer Of Worlds

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Hi everyone, I’m Rick Barron, your host, and welcome to my podcast, That’s Life, I Swear

He was an American theoretical physicist and known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” During World War II, he led the Manhattan Project, which resulted in the creation of the first atomic bomb used to end the war with Japan. His work saved the lives of many military personnel. However, years later he would be called a traitor to his country. Who was he?

Let’s jump into this 

On December 16, 2022, The Secretary of Energy nullified a 1954 decision to revoke the security clearance of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a top government scientist who led the making of the atomic bomb in World War II but fell under suspicion of being a Soviet spy at the height of the McCarthy era.

Why does this matter

After 68 long years, years Oppenheimer, the architect of the American atomic bomb, was cleared of a black mark on his name and reputation that resulted in a flawed investigation.

Julius Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He was born on April 22, 1904, in New York City to parents of German-Jewish descent. His interest in science and mathematics earned him a PhD in physics from the University of Göttingen in Germany in 1927.

University of Gottingen. Courtesy of Gottingen

Some things to note about Oppenheimer

·       In the 1920s and 1930s, he became a leading theoretical physicist and made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics. He also founded the Theoretical Physics Group at the University of California, Berkeley.

·       He made important contributions to the theory of cosmic ray showers, and did work that eventually led toward descriptions of quantum tunneling. In the 1930s, he was the first to write papers suggesting the existence of what we today call black holes.

·       After the war, he became the director of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University. He continued to make significant contributions to physics and became a leading voice in the scientific community.

Oppenheimer returned to the United States and began a successful academic career, teaching at several universities and conducting groundbreaking research in theoretical physics. He made important contributions to understanding quantum mechanics, the theory of atomic and molecular collisions, and the behavior of black holes.

However, his greatest contribution to science and history came during World War II when he was appointed the Manhattan Project's scientific director. The project was a top-secret U.S. government effort to build an atomic bomb before Nazi Germany could. 

Photo of the first atomic bomb test on July 16, 1945, at
5:30am at the Trinity Site in New Mexico. Courtesy of:
How Stuff Works

On July 16, 1945, scientists and engineers watched the first successful atomic bomb explosion at the Trinity test site in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The team, dubbed “The Manhattan Project,” had been secretly developing the weapon at the Los Alamos Laboratory during the better part World War II.

On the day of the first-ever atomic bomb explosion, Robert, watched from afar that morning as the bomb released a mushroom cloud 40,000 feet high. His description of that moment has since become famous:

“I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture the Bhagavad-Gita, he said. “‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

After World War II ended, he became an outspoken advocate for international control of atomic energy and the peaceful use of nuclear power. He served as a scientific advisor to the U.S. government and was recognized as one of the world's leading physicists.

Joseph McCarthy. Courtesy of: Britannica

However, in the early 1950s, during the Red Scare and McCarthyism, his political views and past association with suspected communists led to a government investigation into his loyalty.

In what was known as The Oppenheimer security hearing was a series of hearings held in 1954 by the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to determine whether the renowned physicist who had headed the Manhattan Project during World War II, was a security risk and whether he should be allowed to continue serving as a government advisor on atomic energy matters.

Oppenheimer at the hearings. Courtesy of: The Press Democrat

He was accused of being a security risk and a communist sympathizer by some members of the AEC, particularly the chairman, Lewis Strauss. 

Lewis had a personal grudge against Oppenheimer, as he was pushing for a more powerful bomb, and Oppenheimer opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb as it would divert resources for building atomic bombs. Lewis was concerned that the Russians in 1949 detonated their atomic bomb. To counter the Russian’s, Lewis recommended that the United States retain nuclear superiority by developing a more powerful bomb, the "Super", or what is known as the H-Bomb. 

Lewis Strauss. Courtesy of: The History Channel

When the decision to create the H-Bomb went before General Advisory Committee, it was unanimously voted against a crash program to develop the "Super". 

The accusations against Oppenheimer about his loyalty to the United States, stemmed from his past associations with known communist sympathizers, including his brother Frank, and his close friendship with communist sympathizer Haakon Chevalier.

Regarding Haakon, in early 1943, he told Oppenheimer that he knew of a way to pass information to the Soviets. He rejected Chevalier’s offer, but failed to report the exchange for eight months. The Chevalier offer and the belated reporting were dredged up and used against Robert.

There were a number of factors that led to Oppenheimer's security hearing. One was his opposition to the development of the hydrogen bomb, which put him at odds with some powerful figures in the government, including the chairman of the AEC, Lewis Strauss, as mentioned.

Oppenheimer's defenders argued that he was being unfairly targeted because of his opposition to the development of the hydrogen bomb and his past associations with known communist sympathizers.

In the end, Oppenheimer lost his security clearance, and his government advisory role on atomic energy matters ended immediately. The decision was based on a finding that he had "deficiencies" in his character, making him a security risk. 

Oppenheimer teaching. Courtesy of: GOVERNING

Despite this setback, he continued to work as a professor of physics at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University and retired in 1966. His teaching and writing continued until he died of throat cancer on February 18, 1967.

He was widely respected for his contributions to the field of physics and his commitment to the responsible use of science for the benefit of humanity.

Julius Robert Oppenheimer was a pioneering theoretical physicist who made important contributions to our understanding of the natural world. He will always be remembered for his role in the Manhattan Project and the development of the first atomic bomb, but his life and work also reflected a deep commitment to the responsible use of science and the pursuit of peace. 

There is one more thing to add here. Film director Christopher Nolan has a movie coming out on Oppenheimer. The film will open in theatres July 21st, 2023. Be sure to check out the movie trailer that you can find on my website.  

What can we learn from this story? What’s the take away

Oppenheimer is remembered as a scientist who was persecuted for trying to address the moral problems of his creation. Though there have been some close calls, no country has used nuclear bombs as weapons since Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
 
 So far, we’ve been able to avoid the nightmarish nuclear future Oppenheimer feared he’d already set in motion. Let’s pray we can keep it that way. 

Well, there you go. That's life, I swear.

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