Oppenheimer

Being a father in waiting has made me more contemplative about my childhood. It can be triggered by seeing a family in a restaurant or even a PBS documentay.

I sometimes feel like I missed out on being a scientist. There seems to be a more clear sense of success and failure, right and wrong than other professions, including my own. I thought
American Experience on PBS recently aired a documentary entitled The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer. This man gave his all to his country as creator of the atomic bomb but was later destroyed by accusations of Communist Party membership. Actor David Strathaim (Good Night and Good Luck and The Bourne Ultimatum) plays the morose scientific visionary.

I was facinated by this program because it involves the creation of a product so powerful that it could destroy the entire world. I find it hard to believe only 9 counties are currently known to have nuclear weapons in 2009, 64 years after the first. I supposed its not comparable to kids building smoke bombs based off a recipe they found on the internet. Particle accelerators and enriched uranium is quite difficult to obtain, just ask Doc Brown.