About J. Robert Oppenheimer
American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) had a $2 million estimated net worth. J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the “father of the atomic bomb,” battled with the invention he helped to develop for the remainder of his life. In human history, the 20th century saw some of the greatest technological and scientific advancements. And while those who made their mark in this field did so for the benefit of humanity, J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb, battled with what he helped to develop for the rest of his life. Let’s look more closely.
Education was always a priority for Oppenheimer, who was raised in an affluent household and was born on April 22, 1904, in New York, New York. He began attending Harvard University when he was 18 years old, and in 1925 he received a degree in chemistry. Oppenheimer continued his education, eventually earning a PhD from Germany’s Gottingen University in 1927. After arriving home, he started working as a physics instructor at U.C. Berkeley.
On the Manhattan Project and Oppenheimer
The government took notice of Oppenheimer’s abilities as a research physicist during WWII. He was appointed the Director of the Manhattan Project in June 1942, whose goal it was to develop the first atomic bomb. The scientific team that worked on the project at a research facility in Los Alamos, New Mexico, was put together with the assistance of Oppenheimer. The stakes were extremely high because, as World War II raged, the United States and Germany were competing to develop the first atomic bomb.
The Atomic Bomb and Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer and his team were ready with a small-scale, functional atomic weapon three years after they started their work. The first atomic bomb test was conducted on July 16, 1945, at the Trinity test site in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The heavier bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki less than a month after the team’s successful test, which ultimately put an end to World War II in the Pacific Theater, were created after the test’s success.
The Psychological Effects of Developing the Atomic Bomb
Oppenheimer and a large portion of his team were filled with fear and sadness after being given the opportunity to view what they had produced, despite all of their trailblazing work as scientists in developing the bomb. Oppenheimer was troubled by the unparalleled destruction that their bomb may cause.
Oppenheimer rose to prominence as a strong opponent as the US developed and built even more potent bombs. His devotion to the United States was soon called into question, and his security clearance was removed. J. Robert Oppenheimer worked as the director of Princeton University’s Institute of Advanced Study for the most of the rest of his life. Shortly before passing away in 1967 from throat cancer, he left this job.
