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Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer

Page 105

by Ray Monk


  460. ‘in an earnest’: JRO to Bernheim, 27.8.1945, S & W, 297–8

  460. ‘You will understand’: JRO to Deutsch, 24.8.1945, S & W, 295

  461. a long letter to Charles Lauritsen: JRO to Lauritsen, c. 27.8.1945, S & W, 298–300

  461. ‘a real instrument’: JRO to Marcelle Bier, 31.8.1945, S & W, 303

  461. ‘tickling the dragon’s tail’: see Hoddeson et al. (1993), 346–8, and Malenfant (2005)

  461. suffered an accident: see Hunner (2004), 84–5

  462. ‘I think it’s good propaganda’: Stoff et al. (1991), 258

  462. ‘I’ll be delayed’: Serber (1998), 114

  462. ‘The most striking impression’: ibid., 123

  462. ‘callousness’: ibid., 125

  462. ‘The ruins’: ibid., 135

  462. a press conference: see Norris (2002), 439–40

  463. ‘No one’: Hunner (2004), 114–5

  463. origins of this organisation: I am dependent here on the information provided in Piccard (1965). It is more usual to say that ALAS was formed on 30 August 1945, but, using contemporary sources and ALAS’s own archive of documents, Piccard gives a fuller and more detailed account that traces the origins back to the spring of 1945.

  463. ‘the international control’: from an anonymous note in the ALAS files, dated 24 October 1945, quoted Piccard (1965), 252

  464. a document: reproduced in full ibid., Appendix A

  464. ‘In the event’: ibid., 259

  464. ‘The development of the atomic bomb’: ibid.

  464. ‘You will probably recognize’: S & W, 304

  464. ‘Mr Harrison points out’: Piccard (1965), 260

  465. ‘If this bill passes’: Lanouette (1994), 286

  466. ‘felt that he had’: Rhodes (1996), 241

  466. ‘I must confess’: Smith (1965), 140

  466. ‘frightening’: Lanouette (1994), 287

  466. ‘Mention to a Senator’s secretary’: ibid., 288

  467. ‘It was a declaration’: Wilson (1996), 353

  467. ‘not necessarily’: ibid.

  467. ‘The scientific background’: Piccard (1965), 261

  467. ‘one of the best speeches’: Conant (2005), 346

  467. ‘It is our hope’: S & W, 310

  468. ‘The peoples of this world’: ibid., 311

  Part IV: 1945–1967

  15. The Insider Scientist

  471. ‘He’d better be careful’: Conant (2005), 351

  471. ‘The woods’: ibid.

  471. ‘There were always people’: ibid., 352

  471. ‘somewhat academic’: Hearings on Science Legislation (S. 1297 and related bills): Hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on military affairs, United States Senate, Seventy-Ninth Congress, first session, Washington DC: US Government Printing Office (1945), 300

  471. ‘a plea’: ibid., 301

  472. ‘If the so-called secret’: ibid., 322

  472. ‘no technical difficulty’: ibid., 325

  472. ‘The two’: ibid., 321

  472. ‘The Johnson bill’: ibid., 308

  472. ‘oblique attack’: quoted Smith (1965), 154

  472. ‘the coolest reception’: Thorpe (2006), 176

  472. ‘Oppie’s suggestions’: ibid.

  472. a dinner: see Lanouette (1994), 290

  473. ‘I never saw a man’: Wallace (1973), 496–7

  473. May opened proceedings at 10 a.m.: see Lanouette (1994), 290–3

  473. ‘patient consideration’: ibid., 291

  474. a ‘masterpiece’: ibid., 292

  474. ‘He talked’: ibid., 293

  474. ‘The bill’: Hearings on Science Legislation, 127, quoted Thorpe (2006), 172

  474. ‘To the congressmen’: Lanouette (1994), 293

  474. ‘I think it is a matter’: quoted Thorpe (2006), 173

  474. ‘an enormous technological development’: Hearings on Science Legislation, 300, quoted Thorpe (2006), 174

  474. ‘a plea for leaving’: ibid., 301, quoted Thorpe (2006), 174

  475. ‘I don’t want to see’: B & S, 332

  475. ‘The first thing’: ibid., 331

  475. ‘Perhaps’: ibid.

  475. ‘never’: ibid.

  476. ‘sacred trust’: see Piccard (1965), 257

  476. ‘I saw him’: Pharr Davis (1969), 260

  476. ‘Mr President’: B & S, 332

  476. ‘I told him’: ibid.

  476. ‘cry-baby scientist’: ibid.

  476. ‘Don’t worry’: ibid.

  476. ‘Years later’: S & W, 315

  477. ‘But when you’: ibid., 317

  477. ‘the almost unanimous resistance’: ibid.

  477. ‘the views suggested’: ibid., 324

  477. ‘insistent tone’: ibid.

  477. ‘say that no bombs be made’: ibid., 322

  478. ‘If some of you’: ibid., 315

  478. ‘I would like’: JRO to JBC, 29.9.1945, S & W, 308

  478. he wrote to William Houston: S & W, 308

  478. ‘I did actually’: ITMO, 35

  478. ‘I was sort of reluctant’: ibid.

  479. seized and destroyed five cyclotrons: see Groves (1962), Chapter 27, 367–72

  479. ‘Oppenheimer and I’: Bernstein (2004), 100

  479. ‘walked back and forth’: Lilienthal (1964), 13

  480. ‘an extraordinary personage’: ibid., 14

  480. ‘worth living a lifetime’: B & S, 340

  480. ‘All the participants’: Acheson (1969), 153, quoted B & S, 340

  480. ‘knew more’: Groves (1962), 411

  480. ‘had little or no knowledge’: ibid.

  480. ‘Everybody genuflected’: Goodchild (1980), 178

  480. ‘The way it worked’: ITMO, 37

  480. On 2 February: see ibid.

  481. ‘we did not feel’: Groves (1962), 412

  481. ‘It would nevertheless’: for Churchill’s Fulton speech in full, see http://www.historyguide.org/europe/churchill.html

  482. ‘That was the day’: Pharr Davis (1969), 259

  482. ‘a workable plan’: Acheson (1969), 154

  482. ‘interpreter of military policy’: Herken (2002), 166

  482. ‘for the purpose’: JEH to Clark, 26.4.1946, JRO FBI file

  483. ‘Are you there, dear?’: FBI San Francisco office to JEH, 14.5.1946, JRO FBI file

  483. ‘At this point’: ibid.

  483. first met early in April: see Meyrowitz (1990), 263

  483. ‘Mark my words’: Pharr Davis (1969), 261

  483. In another: ‘Atomic Explosives’, Oppenheimer (1955), 3–17

  484. ‘world government’: ibid., 13

  484. ‘renunciation’: ibid.

  484. ‘has from day to day’: ‘Justification for continuation of technical or microphone surveillance’, FBI San Francisco Office, 12.7.1946, JRO FBI file

  484. ‘the United States’ top military secret’: Bern to Patterson, 3.6.1946, JRO FBI file

  484. ‘would place us’: Gregory C. Bern to Robert P. Patterson, Secretary of War, 3.6.1946, JRO FBI file

  484. ‘that the United States’: Miller (1976), 244–5

  485. On that advice: see Norris (2002), 483

  485. ‘Mr Baruch told me’: ITMO, 40

  485. At the meeting: B & S, 344–6

  485. ‘Baruch Plan’: see Dupuy and Hammerman (1973), 302

  485. their own proposal: ibid., 308, see also Gromyko (1947)

  486. ‘the Oppenheimers’: H.B. Fletcher, FBI San Francisco Office to JEH, 11.6.1946, JRO FBI file

  486. a phone conversation: H.B. Fletcher, FBI San Francisco Office to JEH, 13.6.1946, JRO FBI file

  486. an unsuccessful attempt: H.B. Fletcher, FBI San Francisco Office to JEH, 18.6.1946, JRO FBI file

  486. on 26 June: Chevalier (1965), 61, says ‘early June’, but Chevalier’s FBI file shows 26 June as the correct date – see Herken (2002), 161

  486. ‘in monosyllables’:
Chevalier (1965), 63

  486. ‘I have here’: ibid., 64

  486. ‘dropped by my house’: B & S, 357

  487. ‘I approached no one’: ibid.

  487. ‘I cannot tell you why’: B & S, 356

  487. ‘Give it back to the Indians’: Teller (2001), 219

  487. ‘Operation Crossroads’: see Weisgall (1994), from where my information about these tests primarily comes.

  488. ‘If an atomic bomb’: ibid., 98

  488. ‘the appropriateness’: ibid., 99

  489. White: ‘I also have another quotation’: H.B. Fletcher, FBI San Francisco Office to JEH, 11.6.1946, JRO FBI file

  489. ‘Naval vessels’: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists of Chicago, 1 (5), 15 February 1946, 12

  489. just what happened: what follows is derived mainly from Weisgall (1994)

  489. ‘Dressed in all the trappings’: The Economist, Volume 151, 1946, 9

  489. ‘not so much’: Rhodes (1996), 262

  490. ‘common blackmail’: ibid.

  490. ‘is in deep despair’: Lilienthal (1964), 69

  490. ‘will be construed by us’: ibid., 70

  490. ‘paced up and down’: ibid.

  490. ‘He is really’: ibid., 69

  491. ‘for the last four years’: S & W, 289

  491. ‘Cosmic Rays: Report of Recent Progress, 1936–1941’: Oppenheimer (1944)

  491. ‘The situation’: Oppenheimer (1944), 31

  491. ‘Reaction of Radiation’: Oppenheimer and Bethe (1946)

  492. ‘I think’: Donald Menzel to JRO, 15.7.1946, JRO papers, LOC

  492. ‘I would like’: JRO to Donald Menzel, 8.8.1946, JRO papers, LOC

  492. ‘There are certainly’: Menzel to JRO, August 1946, JRO papers, LOC

  493. ‘He is not greatly cultivated’: B & S, 362

  493. ‘a kind of house-rewarming’: Chevalier (1965), 69

  493. ‘had been asked’: ibid.

  493. ‘was obviously’: ibid.

  494. ‘I had to report’: ibid.

  494. ‘gave no answer’: ibid., 70

  494. ‘Opje let loose’: ibid.

  494. Oppenheimer himself was interviewed: see Herken (2002), 161–2

  495. ‘Dr Oppenheimer has requested’: Pais (2006), 80

  496. about whom Oppenheimer had written to Birge: S & W, 268–9

  496. ‘in every way’: ibid., 268

  496. Six months later: JRO to Birge, 26.5.1944, S & W, 275–6

  496. ‘I shall of course’: S & W, 284–5

  496. ‘Would you like to come to Berkeley?’: Mehra et al. (1999e), 1137

  496. ‘I still said no’: ibid.

  497. ‘Turn around’: Pais (1997), 186

  497. ‘Oppenheimer spoke’: ibid., 221

  497. ‘As I stood waiting’: ibid., 221–2

  497. ‘Let’s walk’: ibid., 222

  498. ‘I have just’: ibid., 224

  498. ‘quite long conversations’: ITMO, 327

  499. ‘You will note’: JEH to General Harry H. Vaughan, 28.2.1947, JRO FBI file

  499. ‘Well, if anyone were to print this stuff’: Stern (1971), 103

  499. ‘visibly shaken’: ibid.

  499. Oppenheimer had told him: see ITMO, 27

  499. On 11 March: Herken (2002), 179

  500. ‘He wanted me to be quite clear’: ITMO, 41

  500. to hear Oppenheimer say: ibid., 344

  500. On 11 August: Herken (2002), 180

  501. Shelter Island Conference: my main sources of information about this conference are Pais (1986), Chapter 18, Schweber (1986b), Schweber (1994) and Schwinger (1986). A good, accessible account of the conference can be found in Baggott (2011).

  501. ‘would be remembered’: Schweber (1994), 156

  501. ‘There have been many conferences’: ibid.

  502. Weisskopf’s outline: ibid., 179–81

  502. Oppenheimer’s outline: ibid., 181–3

  502. a non-technical lecture: ‘Atomic Energy as a Contemporary Problem’, Oppenheimer (1955), 21–41

  502. ‘of the two or three’: ibid., 30

  502. ‘would not dare’: Brown and Hoddeson (1983), 222

  503. ‘Twenty-three’: quoted Schweber (1994), 172–3

  503. ‘it was immediately evident’: ibid., 173

  503. ‘As the conference went on’: ibid.

  503. ‘I had heard Oppenheimer speak’: Pais (2006), 112

  505. ‘unexpectedly fruitful’: Schweber (1994), 174

  505. ‘the most successful conference’: ibid., 175

  505. ‘Don’t worry’: ibid., 174

  506. ‘I hardly see him any more’: Chevalier (1965), 79

  506. ‘George thinks this’: ibid., 80

  506. ‘Oppenheimer became a symbol’: Kevles (1995), 377

  16. The Booming Years

  507. ‘This is an unreal place’: Pais (1997), 248–9

  508. Life magazine ran an article: Life, 29 December 1947, 53–9

  508. ‘devastating projection’: ibid., 53

  509. ‘The Multiple Production’: Oppenheimer, Lewis and Wouthuysen (1948)

  509. ‘Note on the Stimulated Decay’: Oppenheimer, Epstein and Finkelstein (1948)

  509. small conference in Copenhagen: see Pais (1997), 233–4

  509. ‘It was’: ibid., 234

  509. ‘did not have time’: Mehra and Rechenberg (2001), 1044. See also Schweber (1994), 317

  510. ‘The importance of Schwinger’s calculation’: Schweber (1994), 318

  510. ‘Physics in the Contemporary World’: Oppenheimer (1955), 81–102

  510. ‘temporarily disastrous effect’: ibid., 83

  510. ‘demands of’: ibid.

  510. ‘It has’: ibid., 83–4

  510. ‘Almost every month’: ibid., 84–5

  510. ‘A newly vigorous’: ibid., 85–6

  510. ‘the increasing understanding’: ibid., 86

  511. ‘It is the prevailing view’: ibid.

  511. ‘In some sort of crude sense’: ibid., 88

  512. ‘God is great!’: Schweber (1994), 318

  512. ‘I have heard’: ibid.

  512. ‘As he proceeded’: Pais (1997), 251

  512. ‘The great event’: Schweber (1994), 320

  513. ‘I was not showing off: Mehra and Rechenberg (2001), 1048

  513. ‘I heard later’: ibid.

  513. 10 December 1947: Schweber (1994), 176

  513. ‘Now it does not matter’: Pais (2006), 115

  513. ‘a major tour de force’: ibid.

  513. ‘I was not invited’: Dyson (1979), 55

  514. ‘had a new theory’: ibid.

  514. ‘Dick tried to tell’: ibid.

  514. ‘the speed’: Pais (2006), 115

  514. ‘The Pocono conference’: Schwinger (1986), 414

  514. ‘got together in the hallway’: Mehra and Rechenberg (2001), 1059

  514. ‘Grateful for your letter’: see Schwinger (2008), 40

  515. ‘Just because’: Schweber (1994), 198

  515. ‘remarkable work’: Physical Review, 74, 225 (1948)

  515. ‘The reason’: Schweber (1994), 201

  515. ‘whole idea’: Barton (1968), 66. On the history of Physics Today, see also Weiner (1973).

  516. ‘to present’: Barton (1968)

  516. ‘Out of it all’: Engineering and Science Monthly, July 1948, 7

  516. ‘hard to disbelieve’: Oppenheimer (1949b), 181

  516. ‘the developments’: ibid.

  517. ‘To me that was very important’: Schweber (1994), 502

  517. ‘where love had drawn him’: ibid., 452

  517. ‘I knew’: Dyson (1979), 64

  517. ‘Yesterday’: Schweber (1994), 335

  518. ‘a marvel’: Dyson (1979), 66

  518. ‘was a cut diamond’: ibid.

  518. ‘understood Schwinger’s theory’: ibid.

  518. ‘As we were droning across Nebraska’: ibid., 67r />
  518. ‘to teach’: ibid., 68

  519. ‘five days’: Kaiser (2005), 74

  519. ‘announcing the triumph’: ibid.

  519. ‘in the middle of the conference’: Rudolf Peierls, interviewed by Charles Weiner in Seattle, Washington, 13 August 1969, AIP

  519. ‘there is the phrase’: JRO to FO, 28.9.1948, quoted B & S, 391, and (slightly more fully) Michelmore (1969), 145–6

  520. ‘more powerful methods’: Schwinger (1958), 148

  520. ‘closed’: ibid., 154

  520. ‘The atmosphere’: quoted Gleick (1994), 266

  520. ‘unreceptive to new ideas’: Dyson (1979), 73

  520. ‘but it came as a shock’: ibid.

  521. ‘The old guard’: Mehra and Rechenberg (2001), 1071

  521. ‘I might have thought’: Kragh (1990), 184

  521. ‘Recent work by Lamb’: Dirac (1951), 291

  521. is on record: see Kragh (1990), 183

  521. ‘I disagree’: Schweber (1994), 522

  521. ‘As a result’: ibid.

  522. ‘I have been observing’: Dyson (1979), 73

  522. ‘we had our fiercest public battle’: ibid.

  522. ‘about some calculations’: ibid., 74

  523. ‘Nolo Contendere’: ibid.

  523. ‘It’s a grim prospect’: Schweber (1994), 527

  523. ‘Certainly’: ibid.

  523. ‘Well’: ibid., 551

  523. ‘I am really’: Schweber (1994), 550

  523. ‘What we don’t understand’: Time magazine, 8 November 1948, 70

  524. ‘I woke up’: ibid., 76

  524. ‘to follow in detail’: JRO to FO, 28.9.1948, quoted B & S, 391

  525. ‘where I saw an opportunity’: B & S, 393

  525. ‘intellectual hotel’: Time magazine, 8 November 1948, 76

  525. ‘despairing the life’: ibid.

  525. ‘Suppose you could’: New York Times, 18 April 1948, quoted Pais (2006), 89

  526. ‘prim and shy’: Dyson (1979), 71

  526. ‘was dying to have conversations’: Pais (2006), 87. See also Pais (1997), 236, where he is merely ‘eager’ to have conversations with Eliot.

  526. ‘This is a nice elevator’: Pais (2006), 87

  526. ‘felt lonely and homesick’: Ackroyd (1985), 288

  526. ‘Newspapermen’: Dyson (1979), 72

  526. ‘I invited Eliot here’: ibid.

  526. ‘One piece of news’: Lee (2009), 158

  527. ‘beautiful theory’: Schweber (1994), 550

  527. ‘Oppenheimer gave a presidential address’: Dyson (1979), 74–5

  527. ‘When I really knew’: Schweber (1994), 456

  528. ‘What about Case’s Theorem?’: Mehra and Rechenberg (2001), 1092. See also ibid., 455

 

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