‘Oppenheimer’ and the Siren Song of World-Ending Technology

Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster hit “Oppenheimer” tells the story of the father of the atomic bomb and the invention he hoped would end all wars. (Spoiler alert: It did not.)

On “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts discuss how history should view J. Robert Oppenheimer — naïve martyr or crybaby? — and whether we have more to fear from nuclear weapons in the age of artificial intelligence.

 

Mentioned in this episode:

“‘Cry Baby Scientist’: What Oppenheimer the Film Gets Wrong About Oppenheimer the Man,” by Haydn Belfield in Vox“Thank God for the Atom Bomb,” by Paul Fussell in The New Republic“American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin“Hiroshima,” by John Hersey

 

More from Opinion:

"The Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer," by Kai Bird for The New York Times"Our Oppenheimer Moment: The Creation of A.I. Weapons," by Alexander C. Karp for The New York Times"How to Stop a Nuclear War," by Ross Douthat for The New York Times"A Look Back at Our Future War With China," by Carlos Lozada for The New York Times