Re: Oppenheimer and Kate

[riley@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Daniel S. Riley)]

In article <130@amix.commodore.com> ag@amix.commodore.com (Keith Gabryelski)
>It is my understanding the Oppenheimer liked the job and although did
>not want the distructive part of it, took it with the technology part
>(which is what really appealed to him).

This has some truth to it, but you also have to remember the prime
motivation for the whole project--ending the war.  You have to
understand the social and political climate at the time if you want
to understand the motivations of anyone who worked on the Manhattan
project.

>He was dismissed from the job because of prejudices against Germans at
>the time.

Unless I'm entirely out to lunch, this isn't true.  Oppenheimer was
hounded out of any position of authority and stripped of his security
clearances because of disagreements with the government and Edward
Teller over the use of the A-bomb and the development of the H-bomb.
The reasons used (security risk, his loose affiliation with the
communist party before the war, etc.) were just rationalizations used
to discredit him.  

Many of the scientists from the Manhattan project still blame Edward 
Teller for the shabby treatment of Oppenheimer after the war.

-Dan Riley (riley@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu, cornell!batcomputer!riley)
-Wilson Lab, Cornell U.