J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904–1967) was an American theoretical physicist and one of the leading figures in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. Born on 22 April 1904, in New York City, Oppenheimer played a key role in the Manhattan Project, the U.S. government's secret research program to develop the first atomic bombs.
Oppenheimer studied at Harvard University and the University of Cambridge before becoming a professor of theoretical physics at the University of California, Berkeley. During the 1930s, he made significant contributions to quantum mechanics and theoretical physics.
In 1942, Oppenheimer was appointed as the scientific director of the Manhattan Project, which aimed to develop atomic weapons. Under his leadership, the project successfully produced the first atomic bombs, which were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, leading to the end of World War II.
After the war, Oppenheimer became a central figure in the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. However, during the Cold War era and the Red Scare, he faced scrutiny for his left-leaning political views and associations with Communist sympathizers. In 1954, Oppenheimer's security clearance was revoked after a controversial hearing, and he was effectively removed from government service.
Oppenheimer continued his scientific work and advocacy for arms control and international cooperation in the later years of his life. He died on 18 February 1967, in Princeton, New Jersey. Despite the controversies surrounding his political activities, J. Robert Oppenheimer is remembered as a brilliant physicist and a complex figure in the history of science and the development of atomic weapons.
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