The film Oppenheimer offered a glimpse into the personal life of the renowned scientist Dr. Robert Oppenheimer. In addition to his professional achievements, the movie provided valuable insights into his personal beliefs and relationships with his colleagues.
Of particular interest was the complex and turbulent dynamic between Oppenheimer and Lewis Strauss, which was accurately portrayed in the movie. While the film highlighted their strained relationship, it also delved deeper into the root causes of their animosity.
To learn more about this intriguing aspect of Oppenheimer’s life, read on.
Why Did Lewis Strauss Hate Oppenheimer?
It’s clear from Oppenheimer’s testimony that Lewis Strauss had a lot of negative feelings toward him. The two men had different political beliefs, with Strauss being a conservative and Oppenheimer being more liberal. Oppenheimer had also been associated with the communist party in the past, which only made things worse between them.
They had several encounters over the years, but the real reason Strauss hated Oppenheimer was because Oppenheimer humiliated Strauss at a Congressional hearing about radioisotopes in 1947, and he thought Oppenheimer was the reason Einstein didn’t talk to Strauss. But things reached their peak in 1954 when Strauss started hearings to investigate Oppenheimer’s possible communist ties and even accused him of being a Soviet spy.
This was all because Strauss saw Oppenheimer as a threat to American security. Although they had their differences, it’s important to note that Strauss had a successful career as a financier, philanthropist, naval officer, and government official.
He worked with Herbert Hoover during World War I and became a self-made millionaire thanks to his work as an investment banker at Kuhn, Loeb & Co in the 1920s and ’30s.
Was Einstein Friends with Oppenheimer?
Did you know that Oppenheimer and Einstein were colleagues at the Institute for Advanced Study? Despite knowing each other for many years, they only became close friends in the last decade of Einstein’s life.
Oppenheimer was a big believer in quantum physics as the foundation of modern theoretical physics, while Einstein spent his last years trying to find faults in this scientific theory. Although they weren’t research partners, they were always friendly with each other as they were neighbors.
What’s really interesting is that Einstein was an enthusiastic chess player and even played a 24-move game against Oppenheimer in Princeton, USA, in 1933. During the game, Einstein opted for the Ruy Lopez or Spanish Game, which is considered the most theoretical opening in chess.
Experience Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in your nearest theatres today.
What was your favorite scene from the film? What do you think of Straussβ relationship with Oppenheimer? Did you find it hateful or more βto the point?β Let us know below!
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