Interviews
Aimee Slaughter, Education Specialist at Los Alamos Museum.
"Oppenheimer was an extremely effective leader during the Manhattan Project. He led a civilian group working alongside the military and was able to lead a collection of scientific 'divas' with minimal conflicts. He radically changed the structure of the lab in response to the discovery that the original plan for the plutonium bomb was not feasible."
"Oppenheimer was an extremely effective leader during the Manhattan Project. He led a civilian group working alongside the military and was able to lead a collection of scientific 'divas' with minimal conflicts. He radically changed the structure of the lab in response to the discovery that the original plan for the plutonium bomb was not feasible."
Catherine Westfall, Professor at Michigan State University
"I remember talking to the head of the group that created the special metals for the bombs (Cyril Stanley Smith). Oppenheimer was not a specialist with metals, and yet he would slip in when they were having a meeting to try to solve a particular problem and very often offer just the clue they needed to produce a solution. He also inspired those at Los Alamos to be interested in the scientific and technical aspects of the project so that they would be creative and work very long hours. Everyone who worked there thought what they were doing was both important and exciting."
"I remember talking to the head of the group that created the special metals for the bombs (Cyril Stanley Smith). Oppenheimer was not a specialist with metals, and yet he would slip in when they were having a meeting to try to solve a particular problem and very often offer just the clue they needed to produce a solution. He also inspired those at Los Alamos to be interested in the scientific and technical aspects of the project so that they would be creative and work very long hours. Everyone who worked there thought what they were doing was both important and exciting."
Ellen Bradbury-Reid, Los Alamos Amateur Historian and Knew Oppenheimer
"He [Oppenheimer] would like to think that his greatest legacy was arms control, the idea that there need never be more atomic bombs, since we knew what they could do. And there have not been any used since August 1945. Many atomic tests, but no use in combat, that is good. I think he would be happy about that, but the thoughtful control of the weapons by civilians has been much harder and we are still struggling with it."
"He [Oppenheimer] would like to think that his greatest legacy was arms control, the idea that there need never be more atomic bombs, since we knew what they could do. And there have not been any used since August 1945. Many atomic tests, but no use in combat, that is good. I think he would be happy about that, but the thoughtful control of the weapons by civilians has been much harder and we are still struggling with it."
Peter Kuznick, Professor of History, Director, Nuclear Studies Institute
American University
Washington, DC 20016
"I would say that his greatest legacy was a negative one. He is thought of as the father of the atomic bomb. He should also be remembered as the real author of the Acheson-Lilienthal Plan for international control of the atomic bomb. He was terrified of the world that he had helped usher in. He also spoke out powerfully against developing the hydrogen bomb, for which he would pay a great price. He was later stripped of his security clearance and marginalized in the world of physics. So I would say he was an ambiguous historical figure who had his positive side and he had his negative side. Without him, the Los Alamos bomb project might not have succeeded and the world would have been better off. But, in part because of his brilliant leadership, life on this planet has been living with the threat of annihilation ever since."
"I would say that his greatest legacy was a negative one. He is thought of as the father of the atomic bomb. He should also be remembered as the real author of the Acheson-Lilienthal Plan for international control of the atomic bomb. He was terrified of the world that he had helped usher in. He also spoke out powerfully against developing the hydrogen bomb, for which he would pay a great price. He was later stripped of his security clearance and marginalized in the world of physics. So I would say he was an ambiguous historical figure who had his positive side and he had his negative side. Without him, the Los Alamos bomb project might not have succeeded and the world would have been better off. But, in part because of his brilliant leadership, life on this planet has been living with the threat of annihilation ever since."
Tom Nichols, Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval War College, Newport, RI
"I believe Oppenheimer's most important legacy was a political one, rather than scientific. The day the first bomb exploded, Oppenheimer was one of the scientists who realize that from that moment on, the world would never be the same. He immediately had a sense of dread about the huge power that his project had unleashed in creating a bomb."
"I believe Oppenheimer's most important legacy was a political one, rather than scientific. The day the first bomb exploded, Oppenheimer was one of the scientists who realize that from that moment on, the world would never be the same. He immediately had a sense of dread about the huge power that his project had unleashed in creating a bomb."
David C. Cassidy, author of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the American Century : "Legacy has to do with the important changes in history that he left behind for future generations. Aside from his own work as a physicist, I think his impact on history occurred in two areas: a) his leadership of the Manhattan Project, and b) his role in the collision between science and the society in which the scientist lives.
Concerning a), the Manhattan Project is regarded as the model for successful large-scale projects. Oppenheimer's leadership of that project can be regarded as a model for successful leadership.
Concerning b), Science is about the study of nature. The Manhattan Project showed that science can also have a very great practical value for consumer products and the military. Oppenheimer's disagreement with some of these practical applications and his treatment by the authorities have shown that scientists should be aware of the impact of their work on the world in which they live."
Concerning a), the Manhattan Project is regarded as the model for successful large-scale projects. Oppenheimer's leadership of that project can be regarded as a model for successful leadership.
Concerning b), Science is about the study of nature. The Manhattan Project showed that science can also have a very great practical value for consumer products and the military. Oppenheimer's disagreement with some of these practical applications and his treatment by the authorities have shown that scientists should be aware of the impact of their work on the world in which they live."
Alexandra Levy, Program Director Atomic Heritage Foundation
Phone Interview Jan. 29, 2015 |
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