Oppenheimer is brought to life by Irish actor Cillian Murphy. The film, directed by Christopher Nolan, follows his signature style with impressive visuals, sound design, and an estimated production budget of $100 million, including «gold standard» IMAX filming. Oppenheimer is well-known as a top physicist and leader of the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb during World War II. He is often called the «father» of the atomic bomb due to his significant role in its creation and deployment by the United States. Whether you decide to watch Nolan's latest film or not, let's take a look at the elusive subject it portrays: J. Robert Oppenheimer. Discover why he's important, often misunderstood, and why his story matters.
Who was Oppenheimer?Oppenheimer, whose full name was Julius Robert Oppenheimer, was born on April 22, 1904, in New York City. His father was a German immigrant who worked in textile importing, and his mother was a painter. Growing up in Manhattan, his family's home was adorned with artwork by famous artists like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, and Paul Gauguin. As a student, Oppenheimer excelled in various subjects, including physics, chemistry, Latin, Greek, poetry, and Eastern philosophy while studying at Harvard University. He furthered his research at the University of Cambridge in England, delving into the groundbreaking field of quantum physics. With a strong reputation, he earned his PhD and accepted positions to teach at both Caltech in Los Angeles and the University of California at Berkeley, where he had a profound impact on the next generation of physicists.
What was Manhattan Project?In the wake of the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939, eminent scientists, including Albert Einstein,
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