Atomic Oppenheimer

26 Jan Atomic Oppenheimer

We took an adventure day and drove to the Los Alamos National Laboratory where the atomic bomb was developed. After viewing the film Oppenheimer, we wanted to learn more.

The Historical Museum featured the human story of the lab– how General Groves and Lab Director Oppenheimer were the two principal players. Their approaches differed radically: Groves was a military officer who was trained to compartmentalize, with each division (i.e. theoretical; experimental physics; chemistry and metallurgy; and ordnance) walled off from the others.

Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist and researcher of quantum mechanics, who asserted that scientific progress required collaboration. He prevailed. Weekly meetings featured senior scientists sharing ideas. In only three years, this collaboration resulted in the first detonation of a nuclear weapon at the Trinity test site.

Controversial as the outcome was, this project dramatically displayed the ability of great minds, when gathered together and freely exchanging ideas, to produce historic breakthroughs. For this model to succeed in today’s corporate world takes masterful facilitation and a safe environment. Trust and openness are paramount. What a thrill to brainstorm with peers to advance ideas and create the future.