7 interesting stories about Robert Oppenheimer that you have not heard yet

Soon the long-awaited film of the famous director Christopher Nolan “Oppenheimer” will be released. American physicist Julius Robert Oppenheimer, also known as the “Father of the Atomic Bomb”, leads the “Manhattan Project” and is at the center of an autobiographical film that has caused a lot of buzz among moviegoers. For this reason, the life of Oppenheimer, one of the scientists who changed the history of mankind, has recently interested many people. Moreover, the life of a scientist who played a leading role in the invention of the atomic bomb is full of interesting stories. Here are 7 interesting stories about Robert Oppenheimer that you probably haven’t heard before.

1. Robert Oppenheimer was the first scientist to postulate the existence of black holes.

This “crazy” scientist, who at some point in his career was also interested in astrophysics, did not hesitate to publish articles about alleged but not yet discovered space objects. On this topic, an article that he published in 1939 with his then student Hartland Snyder is very interesting. In his linked article, Oppenheimer suggested that there must be “dead stars in the depths of space whose gravitational force exceeds the energy they produce.”

However, this article, which was considered quite extraordinary for that time, did not receive much attention in the scientific world. However, Oppenheimer spoke about the existence of black holes, which is one of the most interesting aspects of astrophysical research today.

2. Albert Einstein called Oppenheimer an “idiot”!

In the 1940s, the two most famous scientists in history had a bit of a disagreement. The reason for this slight tension was quite interesting. At the height of “McCarthyism” (a term used to describe anti-Communist skepticism that began in the late 1940s and continued through the late 1950s) in the United States, many people, including famous people, were either communists or supported them. struggling with years of subsequent and grueling interrogation.

Here is II. Oppenheimer, one of the inventors of a weapon so important that it changed the fate of World War II and therefore the world, was also one of the names targeted by McCarthyism. Oppenheimer began to sympathize with communism in the 1930s and provided financial support to left-wing groups in the US with his $300,000 inheritance. For this reason, he faced intense pressure and various investigations.

It was at this time that Oppenheimer was told by his German colleague that he could leave the country rather than endure tedious investigations and be held accountable. However, Oppenheimer dismissed this advice from Einstein, stating that “the current political situation can only be changed from within, and therefore he will stay and fight.” In addition, Einstein said of Oppenheimer:He is idiot!he used this phrase.

3. He tried to poison his professor at the university!

Oppenheimer had a hard time battling depression while working on his PhD in physics at the Cavendish Laboratory in the UK. Experimental physicist Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett, who was Oppenheimer’s adviser during these years, forced his student to work in the lab despite his lack of practice.

Oppenheimer’s failures in the lab and his failure to get the teacher’s approval infuriated him. So much so that one day this brilliant student dipped an apple in toxic chemicals and placed it on Blackett’s desk!

4th term U.S. President Harry S. Truman accused Oppenheimer of being a “crying” scientist.

Shortly after the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Oppenheimer met with then US President Harry S. Truman to discuss his concerns about a possible nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union.

At the meeting, Truman stated that Oppenheimer’s fears were unfounded, stating that the Soviet Union would never develop an atomic bomb. On the other hand, Oppenheimer made an interesting confession to the President of the United States at the same meeting:Mr. President, my hands are covered in blood, I can feel it!“This admission made the President of the United States very angry and made him no longer want to see Oppenheimer. So much so that Truman wrote for Oppenheimer in 1946:The crying scientist who came to my office 5-6 months ago and writhed most of the time” used words.

5. He had a great influence on his students

Moreover, this effect was not limited to the scientific sphere. Robert Oppenheimer, an extremely successful physicist, was also very talented in oratory. His skill in the art of speech was so high that he “bewitched” the students he taught. So much so that some of his students dressed and acted like this impressive scientist…

6. He spoke 6 languages including Sanskrit.

The famous scientist knew Greek, Latin, French, German, Dutch and ancient Indian Sanskrit.

7. When he was 12 years old, he was mistaken for a geologist and invited to lecture

Robert Oppenheimer became interested in crystals from the age of 7 due to their structure and interaction with polarized light. As an avid mineral collector as a child, Oppenheimer maintained a long and extensive correspondence with local geologists.

The geologists Oppenheimer contacted did not know they were talking to a 12-year-old boy. That’s why they invited Oppenheimer to the New York Mineralogy Club to give a lecture. Oppenheimer, supported by his father, accepted the invitation, stood on a wooden box, and delivered a speech on the podium.