How Did Oppenheimer Contribute To Science

The beginnings of the Nuclear Age started when Albert Einstein wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt warning him of a dangerous weapon the Nazis had begun researching, known as the atomic bomb. (1) Though, when President Roosevelt first read this letter, he was too preoccupied with events in Europe to be bothered with such ideas. He at the time did not take the creation of such weapon to seriously, nor did he believe America had the resources for such a task. (2) Finally, on October 19, 1939 President Roosevelt wrote back to Einstein stating that the United States had begun to research the power of uranium. (2) With the help of the British, whom reluctantly gave the United States leadership on this project, in June of 1942 the Manhattan Project had begun, though most of the world had no idea that this was even happening, not even Vice President Truman. (2)

Before the bombs were set off over Nagasaki and Hiroshima, a test bomb was detonated in the desert lands of New Mexico. The scientists involved in the research and fruition of this weapon were holding their breaths to see if it worked. They were not concerned with how many potential lives their creation could end, they were only interested in seeing if all of their hard work and two billion dollars in funding would pay off. Dr. J. R. Oppenheimer was credited with the idea of using the atomic bomb as a military weapon. If the bomb worked the intention was to use it to end lives, but as they watched in anticipation to see if the

Even before the outbreak of War, the United States was concerned with a fascist regime in Europe researching in nuclear weapons. In retaliation, the United States began to fund an atomic weapon development program which became known as “The Manhattan Project” led by J. Robert Oppenheimer. Over the next several years, the Manhattan project started obtaining key materials such as Uranium-235 and Plutonium and testing prototypes until they reached a working model (Coroner).

The creation of the atomic bomb was a theory advocated by one of the greatest minds the

Even today, 71 years after the first use of the atomic bomb, people praise Oppenheimer’s many contributions to science but also question his ethics in the development of the atomic bomb. However, I believe J. Robert Oppenheimer was a visionary leader and ethical leader as his contributions advanced science and put an end to a great war.

As the engineers and scientists of the Manhattan Project began further research on the creation of the atomic bomb, they quickly ran into one of their first major problems. Making nuclear fuel to power the bomb quickly proved to be a major predicament. The Clinton Engineer

Though the scientists themselves were the ones to encourage the creation of the atom bomb, their plans and views differed immensely from those of the military. As World War II raged on, Germany was suspected of harnessing atomic energy and directing it into powering a weapon. Albert Einstein, agreeing with Leo Silzard, the man who first thought into the concept, urged President Franklin D. Roosevelt to look further into the study of atomic energy and the possibility of using it for a bomb. President Roosevelt, fearing the German’s advances in this study, quickly agreed and sent money to the University of Chicago to begin the study and research of atomic energy. (Roleff 62) (The Manhattan Project 1) Upon sending this money, the top-secret research program and building of the atomic bomb began. Later moving from Chicago to Los Alamos, New Mexico, this secret project was called the Manhattan Project. (1) Einstein later explained that his recommendation to the president was to only further the United State’s knowledge of this energy and to have an extra line of defense if the Germans were to ever launch a nuclear attack. (Roleff 62) When the possibility of using one of these weapons was

Scientists Who Invented the Atomic Bomb under the Manhattan Project: Robert Oppenheimer, David Bohm, Leo Szilard, Eugene Wigner, Otto Frisch, Rudolf Peierls, Felix Bloch, Niels Bohr, Emilio Segre, James Franck, Enrico Fermi, Klaus Fuchs and Edward Teller. View a copy of the letter Einstein wrote Roosevelt that prompted the Manhattan Project.

On the 2nd of August, 1939 Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard wrote President F.D. Roosevelt a letter alerting him to the possibility of the creation of atomic bombs (Einstein, 1939). This letter ultimately lead to the creation of the bomb. While Szilard continued to work on the bomb as part of the ‘Manhattan Project’, Einstein’s only involvement was the writing of these letters. Einstein was notoriously left wing and was considered a security risk by the military (American Museam of Natural History, n.d.). Despite only being involved in the most basic way he felt a large amount of regret, stating that “I made one great mistake in my life... when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt.” (Pauling, 1954). Einstein spent the rest of his life condemning the bombs, proving that he did not think their use was justified. These views are mirrored in those of Leo

The greatest scientific development in the year 1945 was the creation of the atomic bomb. It created mass controversy as the United States aimed to end world war two with Japan. Although the bomb was developed in mass secrecy through the Manhattan project, the “atomic bomb was a stunningly powerful (Falk 1)” weapon that

The morning of August 15, 1945, Americans rejoiced as World War II came to an end after Japan had been bombed twice by atomic bombs which completely decimated the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most people know this would be the only nuclear attack ever made in history, but what people do not know would be who created these nuclear weapons, and how they created them. The Manhattan Project, created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, included the most brilliant scientists of all time. The President created this project because he obtained information that Germany could possibly create a nuclear weapon. Essentially, this project began working on the idea because the

In early 1900’s scientist of the world discovered that a few German physicists had learned the secret of splitting atoms, and they would be able to utilize energy to produce a bomb that would cause total destruction. Albert Einstein, who fled Nazi Germany and fled to United States, informed President Roosevelt about the capability of splitting atoms. Along with Einstein fellow scientist Fermi convinced Roosevelt to develop an atomic research program. In 1941 United Stated begin to design and build the atomic bomb which coded the Manhattan project. In 1942 Fermi had produced nuclear chain reaction. The development of the atomic bomb took place in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Oppenheimer was the leading scientist in putting all the pieces together. There were over a hundred thousand people involved in preparing the bomb to be tested. December of 1945 the testing for the first atomic bomb took place in New Mexico.

Einstein sent a letter to President Roosevelt urging the development of an atomic research program in 1939. Roosevelt saw neither the necessity or the utility for the project, but agreed to proceed slowly. The American effort to design and build an Atomic bomb received it’s code name, in late

At the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II scientist started to develop new ways to to react to wars.Scientist like Julius Robert Oppenheimer with the help of Albert Einstein created the first atomic bomb called the “Little Boy” and the “FatMan”. Oppenheimer was the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico. He was incharge of gather the best minds to develop weapons of mass destruction. Oppenheimer along with 200 other physics developed weapons that would change the world forever.

A man who is almost synonymous with the development of the atomic bomb as well as with the conflicts between the desires of the government