"I need physics more than friends," a well-known American scientist once said. "The father of the atomic bomb" - Robert Oppenheimer was called that by his compatriots - devoted his whole life to research. He suffered from depression, was a very eccentric person, his interests were not limited to physics. The story of Julius Robert Oppenheimer is told in this article.
Childhood
Robert Oppenheimer was born in 1904 in New York. His father was a native of Germany, he was engaged in the sale of fabrics. In addition, Oppenheimer Sr. acquired paintings throughout his life, collected an excellent collection, which even included paintings by Van Gogh. The mother of the future scientist taught painting. She died young, her death devastated the inner world of her son. One of the compilers of the biography of Robert Oppenheimer suggested that a certain sophistication of the scientist and his interest in art are caused by nothing more than the desire to preserve the imagemother.
At the age of five, the hero of today's story began to collect samples of minerals. As a gift from his grandfather, he received a wonderful collection of stones. When the boy was eleven, he was accepted into the mineralogical club. After graduation, he entered Harvard University.
Youth
Robert Oppenheimer did not dream of becoming a physicist from an early age. Initially, he planned to study chemistry, in addition, he was attracted to poetry and architecture. This scientist was a diversified nature. His interests covered the exact sciences and the humanities. He studied physics, chemistry, Greek and Latin, and wrote poetry in his youth.
It is worth saying that in the United States, back in the first half of the 20th century, both school and university education acquired a pronounced tendency towards specialization. This divided people, limited the circle of their knowledge. Oppenheimer's desire for knowledge in various fields testifies to his gifted, rich nature.
Passion for Eastern philosophy
He amazed those around him with his intellectual susceptibility and high capacity for work. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, during one of his trips, in just a few hours, he read an English historian's monograph on the collapse of the Roman Empire. Once I amazed my colleagues by suddenly starting to lecture in Dutch. But nothing could satisfy Oppenheimer's thirst for knowledge. Later he began to study Buddhism,Indian philosophy. Moreover, I became interested in Sanskrit.
"I am the destroyer of worlds" - Robert Oppenheimer once said this odious phrase. It became one of his most famous sayings. Robert Oppenheimer took the quote from the writings of an ancient Indian philosopher. Why the American scientist called himself the destroyer of worlds is described below.
In Europe
Harvard University Robert Oppenheimer graduated in 1925. Moreover, he completed the standard course not in four, but in three years. Then he went to Europe, where he continued his education. The glory of the universities of the Old World had not yet faded against the backdrop of rich American laboratories. Many US students sought education in Europe.
Oppenheimer was admitted to the University of Cambridge. Here he began work in the Cavendish laboratory. Its leader was the scientist Reserdorf, whom the students called for some reason "crocodile". By the way, one of the students of the teacher with a strange nickname was Peter Kapitsa. Oppenheimer distinguished himself from his comrades by his incredible ability in conducting theoretical and experimental research.
In the Cavendish laboratory, a young American witnessed the incredible struggle that scientists waged in order to obtain expensive, sophisticated research instruments from patrons and the government.
Soon Oppenheimer received an invitation to George Augusta University. This institution was famous primarily for outstanding mathematicians, among whom was the famous Friedrich Gauss. George Augusta University was considered a scientific center where a revolution in physics was made.
In 1927, Oppenheimer passed his exams. In all subjects, except for organic chemistry, he received "excellent". He defended his dissertation brilliantly. Max Born characterized the work of a novice scientist very highly, while noting that it significantly exceeds standard dissertations in its level.
Quantum Revolution
Of course, Robert Oppenheimer has not played a significant role in modern physics, unlike Schrödinger, Curie, Einstein. Moreover, he did not make significant scientific discoveries. However, not a single scientist, like Oppenheimer, could understand the role of the quantum revolution and its possibilities to the extent that the hero of the article did. He conducted numerous experimental and theoretical studies, found out new properties of matter, published many reports on this topic. Oppenheimer made a significant contribution to the latest physics, which was being built in the first half of the 20th century. He was a talented teacher, popularizer of new theories.
Even in Robert Oppenheimer's short biography, an important fact about him is indicated: he was one of the leading American developers of nuclear weapons. That is why he was called the "father of the atomic bomb". It was first tested in 1945 in New Mexico. Then it occurred to the scientist to compare himself with the destroyer of worlds.
Linus Pauling
In 1928, Oppenheimer became close friends with the famousAmerican chemist. Together they planned the organization of research in the field of chemical bonding. Pauling was a pioneer in this area. Oppenheimer had to do the math part. However, the ideas of scientists were not implemented. The chemist began to suspect that the relationship between a colleague and his wife was becoming too close. He refused further cooperation, and when Oppenheimer later offered him to head the Chemical Division, he refused, citing his pacifist views.
Private life
In 1936, Robert Oppenheimer began an affair with Jean Tetlock. The girl at that time was studying at Stanford Medical School. It is noteworthy that their relationship was born on the basis of common political views. The scientist broke up with Tetlock three years after they met. At the same time, he began a relationship with a student at the University of Berkeley and a former member of the Communist Party, Katherine Harrison. At that time, the girl was married. When she found out that she was pregnant by Oppenheimer, she filed for a divorce. Their wedding took place in November 1940. While married, Oppenheimer rekindled his relationship with his former lover, Jean Tetlock.
There is a version that the scientist's wife - Katherine Harrison - was a special agent of the Soviet intelligence. Moreover, she was in America precisely with the aim of entering into a relationship with Robert Oppenheimer. This point of view was expressed in his memoirs by the Soviet intelligence officer and saboteur Pavel Sudoplatov. Gene Tetlock, who also had connections with members of the Communist Party, was also questionable. It is worth saying that in the circles of American scientists in those years, almost every third intelligence officer was from the USSR.
Political activities
In the twenties, Oppenheimer had no interest in politics at all. According to his statement, he did not read newspapers, did not listen to the radio. For example, about the collapse in stock prices that occurred in 1929, he learned a few months later. In the presidential election, he voted for the first time in 1936. In the mid-thirties, he suddenly became interested in international relations. In 1934, he expressed a desire to donate a small part of his salary to support German scientists who were forced to leave their homeland because of the totalitarian regime. Sometimes Oppenheimer even appeared at rallies.
Access to classified activities
American domestic intelligence followed Robert Oppenheimer back in the late thirties. The scientist aroused distrust because of his sympathy for the communists. In addition, his close relatives were members of this party. In the early forties, the scientist was under close supervision. His telephone conversations were tapped. Handles were installed in Oppenheimer's house.
In 1949, a scientist testified to government officials who were investigating un-American activities. Oppenheimer confessed to being in contact with the Communists in the early thirties. His brother Frank, who was a physicist by training, but after a high-profile incident lost his job, went to Colorado, where he became a farmer, was also interrogated. Robert Oppenheimer was suspended fromsecret activity. According to materials from the KGB archive, he was not recruited, he was never involved in spying for the Soviet Union.
Recent years
Most of the time since 1954, Robert Oppenheimer spent on the island of St. John. Here he bought land and built a house. The scientist loved to sail on a yacht with his daughter and wife Katherine. In recent years, he was increasingly concerned about the danger of scientific discoveries in the field of nuclear physics. He was completely devoid of political influence, but continued to lecture and write a monograph.
In 1965, a famous theoretical physicist was diagnosed with throat cancer. He underwent chemotherapy, but the treatment did not work. Robert Oppenheimer passed away in February 1967.
