Oppenheimer, the new Christopher Nolan film, made twice its box office projections last weekend. The movie tells the story of nuclear physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who developed the world’s first atomic bomb.
He meant for it to be a deterrent to war, but then-President Harry Truman ordered two bombs to be dropped on Japan to end World War II.
The consequences of Oppenheimer’s work have been felt and debated ever since.
We spoke with two of the grandchildren of J. Robert Oppenheimer: Dorothy Oppenheimer Vanderford and Charles Oppenheimer. They’ll headline a discussion Thursday at the Beverly Theater. It’s being hosted by the Atomic Museum.
And of course, they'll talk about the movie. But if you want something of a spoiler... they liked it. "The movie made sure to have him appear more as a hero and as a person who didn't necessarily prevail, but was the good guy," said Vanderford, who lives in Boulder City and works at the Nevada National Security Sites — which is the former Nevada Test Site.
Her brother also saw J. Robert Oppenheimer as a scientist-turned-diplomat. "He said, if we go on making these weapons, you can't keep it secret from the other side, it will escalate into an arms race and [become] terribly dangerous," said Charles, who recently founded The Oppenheimer Project with Dorothy and other family members. "And the only way to counteract that is to work together with people who we may have previously considered our enemies -- we have to work together in a new way. And that is a really deep message."
And for those in Southern Nevada that want to complement any screening of Oppenheimer with something more educational and in-the-flesh, the Atomic Museum is suitably prepared to meet this cultural moment — and has, if its rising attendance is any indication.
"We have the only full-sized model replica of what Oppenheimer called the gadget — it's the Trinity bomb," says CEO Rob McCoy. "And we tell the Manhattan Project story, the Oppenheimer story and, of course, [the story behind] Trinity. And then from there, we talk about the use of atomic weaponry. ... And the other thing that we do at the museum [is explore when] we suddenly found ourselves in the atomic age. And this influenced every facet of our life, from popular culture, film, music, writing books and politics. So our lives changed forever."
Guests: Dorothy Oppenheimer Vanderford, granddaughter of J. Robert Oppenheimer, contractor to the Department of Energy, Mission Support and Test Services; Rob McCoy, CEO, Atomic Museum; Charles Oppenheimer, grandson of J. Robert Oppenheimer, entrepreneur and founder of The Oppenheimer Project
