John Robert Oppenheimer
- Born:
- April 22, 1904, New York City, New York, USA
- Died:
- February 18, 1967, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Theoretical Physicist, Professor of Physics
Early Life and Education
- Attended the Ethical Culture Society School in New York City.
- Earned a B.A. in Chemistry from Harvard University in 1925.
- Studied at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge.
- Obtained a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Göttingen in 1927.
Career and Major Achievements
- Taught physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and the California Institute of Technology.
- Director of the Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II, responsible for the design and development of the atomic bomb.
- Played a significant role in the Manhattan Project.
- Served as Chairman of the General Advisory Committee of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
- Security clearance revoked by the AEC in 1954.
- Awarded the Enrico Fermi Award in 1963.
Notable Works
- Contributed to the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.
- Work on the Oppenheimer-Phillips process.
- Research on neutron stars and black holes.
Legacy and Impact
J. Robert Oppenheimer's legacy is complex. He is remembered as a brilliant physicist and the "father of the atomic bomb." The moral and ethical implications of his work continue to be debated. Obtaining what is essentially the 'best biography' of him involves navigating diverse perspectives on his achievements and controversies.