Breaking Down Oppenheimer with Brian Greene

About This Episode

What do two physicists think about the movie Oppenheimer? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with theoretical physicist Brian Greene to discuss Robert J. Oppenheimer’s work on the Manhattan Project, the science in Christopher Nolan’s film, and the dawn of quantum physics. Was it too early to put quantum theories into practice?

How did the movie capture such a major moment in quantum physics? They break down parts of the film: did Nolan get anything wrong? We explore the concerns that the atomic bomb would ignite the atmosphere and the mechanism to make that possible.

Would Brian have said yes to working on the Manhattan Project if he had been alive then? Was achieving nuclear fission good for science? Was it too soon? We discuss the quick turnaround from theory into practice and the early days of quantum physics. Plus, get Neil and Brian’s Favorite moments from the film and their main takeaways from the era.

Thanks to our Patrons Kiril Stoilov, aaron tanenbaum, Oswaldo Asprino, cary mannaberg, Taylor Jenkins, BeerandBrat, and J Maz for supporting us this week.

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