In the movie Oppenheimer, the effect of the atom bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki can only be guessed at from the reactions and nightmares of Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist called the father of the bomb. It ended the war – initially killing over 110,000 in the two cities. Twice as many succumbed to burns, injuries, and radiation. We have been living in its shadow ever since.
Einstein famously said that if he had known the Germans would not succeed in developing the atom bomb, he would not have lifted a finger. It was Einstein’s letter to President Roosevelt that kick-started the race for the bomb in the US.
Both Einstein and Oppenheimer lived to regret the consequences of their effort. Now here we are again facing another crisis with potentially devastating consequences.
