Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer (141 page)

536
. he had been to see J.W. Buchta: Cole (2009), 91

537
. More than fifty physicists: ibid., 92

537
. ‘never agreed with Frank’: ibid., 93

537
. ‘Jackie was absolutely furious’: ibid., 95

537
. ‘Come back’: ibid., 85

537
. ‘Frank Oppenheimer is no longer welcome’: ibid.

537
. ‘What is going on?’: B & S, 403–4

538
. simply dismissed Strauss’s concerns: Stern (1971), 114, 128. See also B & S, 164, and Rhodes (1996), 311

538
. ‘incredible mismanagement’: Rhodes (1996), 359

538
. ‘inimical to our national defense’: Pais (2006), 165

538
. ‘sat in the front row’: Bernstein (2004), 108

538
. The specific issue at hand: see ibid., 107

539
. ‘No one’: Stern (1971), 129

539
. ‘Even to an observer’: ibid.

539
. ‘one eye on Oppenheimer’: ibid.

539
. ‘My own rating’: ibid., 129–30

539
. ‘Well, Joe’: ibid., 130

539
. ‘There was a look of hatred’: ibid.

539
. the cover of
Life
magazine:
Life
, 10 October 1949

539
. ‘the best picture’: Pais (2006), 141

539
. ‘Equations at top of the board’:
Life
, 10 October 1949, 120

540
. ‘although he tried’: ibid., 134

540
. ‘off doing the devil’s work’: ibid., 121

541
. ‘Almost every month’: ibid., 122

541
. ‘what we are forced to call’: ibid., 123

541
. ‘what is at the moment’: ibid., 123–4

541
. ‘the world’s foremost center’: ibid., 121

541
. ‘devoted most of his investigative efforts’: ibid., 132

541
. introduced the term ‘lepton’: see Pais (1986), 450

542
. ‘Models and Methods in the Meson Theory’: Yukawa (1949)

542
. a short paragraph: Oppenheimer (1949a)

542
. a short, co-written article: Oppenheimer and Arnold (1950)

542
. ‘Of his manifold activities’:
Life
, 10 October 1949, 138

543
. ‘the news that Russia has at last’: ibid., 121

543
. The evidence for the Soviet bomb: Rhodes (1996), 368–74

543
. ‘We have evidence’: see ‘The Russian Explosion: Mr Truman’s Announcement’,
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
, Vol. V, No. 10, October 1949, 261

543
. ‘What shall we do?’: Goodchild (1980), 197

544
. ‘We should now’: Strauss (1962), 216–17

544
. ‘it was highly probable’: Teller (2001), 281

544
. ‘In the present situation’: ibid.

544
. ‘Having the Super weapon’: ITMO, 683

545
. Teller set off: see Teller (2001), 283

545
. ‘over my dead body’: ibid.

545
. ‘Probably Oppenheimer wanted’: Hershberg (1993), 472

545
. Hershberg, has speculated: ibid., 875

545
. ‘On the technical side’: JRO to JBC, 21.10.1949, JRO papers, LOC, reprinted in full in ITMO, 242–3

546
. ‘I told Ernest’: Serber (1998), 168

546
. ‘that the United States’: ibid., 169

546
. ‘perhaps the most important one’: Pais (2006), 173

547
. ‘The clear implication’: Seaborg (2001), 142

547
. ‘I expressed my opinion’: ibid.

547
. ‘Although I deplore’: ITMO, 238

547
. George Kennan: ibid., 358–9

548
. ‘I met Luis’: Serber (1998), 169–70

548
. ‘mostly psychological’: Lilienthal (1964), 581, also Rhodes (1996), 397–8

548
. ‘He said that he did not think’: ITMO, 785

548
. ‘the program’: ibid.

548
. ‘interesting talk’: Herken (2002), 207

548
. ‘decision to go ahead’: Lilienthal (1964), 581

548
. ‘one must explore it’: ibid.

549
. Three reports: all three are published in full as the Appendix to York (1976), 150–68

549
. ‘an intensification’: ibid., 152

549
. ‘seeing the same film’: Lilienthal (1964), 581

550
. ‘We believe’: York (1976), 154

550
. ‘it has generally been estimated’: ibid., 155

550
. ‘It is clear’: York (1976), 155

550
. ‘Although’: ibid., 155–6

550
. ‘weapon of genocide’: ibid., 157

551
. ‘We believe a super bomb should never be produced’: ibid.

551
. ‘Should they use’: ibid.

551
. ‘In determining’: ibid.

551
. ‘necessarily an evil thing’: ibid., 158

551
. ‘the nations of the world’: ibid., 159

551
. ‘should with considerable regret’: ITMO, 395

551
. ‘enough be declassified’: York (1976), 156

551
. ‘did not tell me’: Teller (2001), 283–4

551
. ‘Washington’: ibid., 284

551
. ‘There are also forces’: ibid., 285

551
. ‘Before I could say anything’: ibid., 286

552
. ‘into a single sovereignty’: Borden (1946), 41

552
. ‘Weisskopf vividly described to me’: Bernstein (1981), 93

552
. ‘He was disappointed’: ibid., 94

552
. the AEC met: see Rhodes (1996), 404

553
. ‘came back feeling happy’: ibid.

553
. ‘You know’: ibid., 405

553
. ‘If we let Russia get the super first’: Bundy (1988), 211

553
. ‘I believe’: Strauss (1962), 219

554
. ‘would improve our defense’: Rhodes (1996), 406

554
. ‘made a lot of sense’: ibid., 407

554
. ‘What the Hell are we waiting for?’: ibid.

554
. ‘to continue its work’: ibid.

554
. ‘alerted the world’: Bernstein (2004), 121

554
. ‘I never forgave Truman’: ibid.

554
. Oppenheimer did not even bother: Pfau (1984), 123

554
. ‘You don’t look jubilant’: Goodchild (1980), 204

554
. Abraham Pais has taken: Pais (2006), 177

555
. ‘prudential and game-theoretical terms’: Pharr Davis (1968), 330. The remark comes from a talk Oppenheimer gave in 1959 to the Congress for Cultural Freedom. See Chapter 19 below, page 646

556
. a series of shocking revelations: see, e.g., Rhodes (1996), Chapter 21, Sibley (2004), Chapter Five, and West (2004), Chapters VII and VIII

556
. McCarthy launched the era: on McCarthyism, see Fried (1997b), Haynes (1996), Morgan (2003), Rovere (1996), Schrecker (1994) and Schrecker (1998)

556
. ‘here in my hand’: Rovere (1996), 125

556
. ‘will make a good many men’: Rhodes (1996), 412

557
. senator for Colorado, Edwin Johnson: see
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
, VI (3), March 1950, 66

557
. ‘Our scientists’: ibid.

557
. ‘naïve and monumental indiscretion’: ibid., 67

557
. ‘make a solemn declaration’: ibid., 75

558
. ‘There is grave danger’: ibid. Cf. Schweber (2000), 160

558
. ‘Hydrogen bombs’: Schweber (2000), 161

558
. ‘I had a long talk with Oppie’: McMillan (2005), 68

558
. ‘Back to the Laboratories!’:
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
, VI (3), March 1950, 71–2

558
. ‘Our scientific community’: ibid., 72

558
. ‘In my mind’: Wheeler (2000), 199

558
. ‘was a great disappointment’: ibid., 199–200

559
. ‘Let Teller and Wheeler go ahead’: ibid., 200

559
. ‘. . . the hydrogen bomb can’t be done’: ibid.

559
. ‘Things have advanced’: ET to JRO, 17.2.1950, JRO papers, LOC

559
. ‘regarded as a matter’: Rhodes (1996), 421

559
. an article by Bethe: Bethe (1950)

559
. ‘Whether the temperatures required’: ibid., 101

560
. ‘I still believe’: Schweber (2000), 163

560
. ‘In case of war’: ibid., 164

560
. ‘With his wonderful virtuosity’: Ulam (1991), 216

560
. ‘was not easily reconciled’: ibid.

560
. ‘seemed rather glad’: ibid., 217

561
. ‘We all agree’: ITMO, 788

561
. ‘The panel contained’: ibid., 684

562
. ‘In fact’: Hewlett and Duncan (1969), 531. See also Libby (1979), 312, and Goodchild (1980), 208

562
. ‘Luis, how could you’: ITMO, 788

562
. ‘You go back’: ibid., 789

562
. ‘Comments on the Military Value of the Atom’: Oppenheimer (1951)

562
. ‘To the first impression’: ibid., 43

562
. ‘of the specific use’: ibid., 44

563
. ‘strategic air warfare’: ibid.

563
. ‘Much of what was clear’: ibid.

563
. ‘the extreme form’: ibid., 45

563
. ‘I cannot believe’: ibid., 45

563
. ‘Project Vista’: see Elliot (1986), upon which my account is based

563
. ‘the possible tactical employment’: ibid., 164

563
. ‘study group’: ibid.

564
. ‘expressed the feeling’: ibid.

564
. fee of $600,000: ibid., 167

564
. ‘All of us’: ibid., 169

564
. ‘On the other hand’: Vista Report, Vol. 1, 3, quoted ibid., 170

564
. ‘explosion’: ibid., 174

565
. Oppenheimer was no longer to be used: York (1976), 139

565
. ‘We have found no great new weapons’: McCray (2004), 361

565
. a yield of between one and fifty kilotons: Elliot (1986), 172

566
. ‘to send material down a tube’: Rhodes (1996), 457

566
. ‘like using a blast furnace’: ibid.

566
. ‘new and elaborate instrumentation’: ibid., 460

567
. ‘staring intensely’: ibid., 463

567
. ‘From then on’: ibid., 467

567
. ‘Edward is full of enthusiasm’: ibid.

567
. ‘The new concept’: ibid., 468

567
. In a series of papers: see ibid., 467–470

567
. ‘The sequence is fission-fusion-fission’: Bernstein (2004), 126

568
. ‘On Heterocatalytic Detonations’: Rhodes (1996), 467–8, also McMillan (2005), 102–3

568
. 225 kilotons: Rhodes (1996), 474

568
. ‘When I came out of the water’: ibid.

568
. yielded twenty-five kilotons: ibid.

568
. The agenda for the meeting: ibid., 475

568
. ‘The outcome’: ITMO, 20

569
. ‘It is my judgment’: ibid., 81

569
. ‘a sweet and lovely and beautiful job’: ibid., 229

569
. code-named ‘Mike’: for a detailed account of the Mike test, see Rhodes (1996), Chapter 24.

570
. ‘In spite of the remarkable success’:
Memorial Tributes: National Academy of Engineering
, Volume 6, The National Academies Press, 1993, 73–6 (quotation, 76)

570
. ‘Somewhat negative’: Teller (2001), 327

570
. ‘If I’d given him control’: Rhodes (1996), 479

570
. ‘makes its very existence’: York (1976). The words are in the minority report written by Rabi and Fermi, but the general report makes similar points, and there is no doubt that the sentiments expressed by Rabi and Fermi were widely shared among the members of the GAC.

570
. ‘a chunk of the atmosphere’: Teller (2001), 332

571
. ‘A lot of us were really teed-off at Edward’: Rhodes (1996), 479

571
. ‘neither necessary’: Oppenheimer to Dean, 13.10.1951, JRO papers, LOC

571
. ‘among the very best’: Teller (2001), 335

571
. ‘You have to choose’: Serber (1998), 172

572
. ‘a courteous man’: Teller (2001), 333

572
. ‘Strauss told me’: ibid., 334

572
. ‘I think it would be fair to say’: ibid., 336

573
. ‘has the reputation’: Schweber (2000), 147

573
. ‘delayed or attempted to delay’: B & S, 443

573
. ‘a lot of people believe’: ibid.

573
. ‘would do most anything’: Rhodes (1996), 537

573
. ‘I want to say’: ITMO, 748

573
. ‘We felt at the time’: ibid., 746

574
. ‘crucial interview’: Teller (2001), 338

574
. on 9 June 1952: Herken (2002), 254

574
. When Thomas Murray visited Berkeley: Herken (2002), 249

574
. gave a speech: ibid.

574
. ‘now is doubtful’: FBI San Francisco office to JEH, 5.4.1952, JRO FBI file

575
. ‘Some of the “boys” have their axe out’: Hershberg (1993), 600. Herken (2002), 250, quotes the same diary entry, worded slightly differently. I am assuming that, of the two, Hershberg is the more accustomed to Conant’s handwriting.

575
. ‘vitriolic talk’: Herken (2002), 249

575
. Hoover sent transcripts of those interviews: ibid.

575
. ‘I didn’t really expect’: ITMO, 752

575
. ‘suggested that we had’: ibid., 753

576
. ‘As near as I can recall’: ibid., 754

576
. ‘and I believe’: ibid.

576
. ‘paranoid’: ibid.

576
. ‘Dr Griggs had been’: ibid., 339

576
. ‘a pillar of honesty’: Libby (1979), 307