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The enigmatic life of J Robert Oppenheimer

24 Jun 2013

Ray Monk spent 11 years working on his new biography of J Robert Oppenheimer, entitled Inside the Centre. In this podcast, he shares his understanding of the atomic-bomb pioneer’s life, legacy and personality with reviews editor Margaret Harris

Monk is a philosopher at the University of Southampton in the UK, and in the podcast you will hear him discuss the efforts he made to get to grips with Oppenheimer’s physics – including his theoretical work on mesons and the gravitational collapse of neutron stars – as well as the atomic-bomb project. You will also hear Monk’s views on the events that led to Oppenheimer having his security clearance revoked by the US government and the aspects of “Oppie’s” character that made him such a charismatic leader.

Listen to the podcast now to learn more about this pivotal figure in the history of modern physics.

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