Jason Pontin, Editor in Chief and Publisher
Credit: Mark Ostow

From the Editor

Oppenheimer's Ghost

  • November/December 2007
  • By Jason Pontin

Can we control the evolution and uses of technology?

   

In a 1965 documentary, The Decision to Drop the Bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who had been the scientific director of the American effort to build an atomic bomb during World War II, described his emotions on witnessing the first nuclear detonation. He said, "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multiarmed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that one way or another."

It is mesmerizing television. (You can watch the clip on atomicarchive.com.) Oppenheimer--pale, penitent, emaciated, and already elderly at 61--cannot face the camera. He looks down as he speaks. His manner is not tentative--he knows precisely which words he wishes to employ--but painfully subdued. He blinks, he looks away, and at one point he actually seems to wipe away a tear.

 

To read the entire article you must log in:

Most of our content — all daily news, blogs, and videos — is free. Magazine stories are paid. To read this story, you must have a subscription or you must use a reading credit. Registration to Technology Review is free and entitles registrants to three free reading credits.

Username or REGISTER
Password  
   
 
Advertisement

MAGAZINE

Can We Build Tomorrow's Breakthroughs?

Manufacturing in the United States is in trouble. That's bad news not just for the country's economy but for the future of innovation.

Sponsored Content

Technologies from National Instruments

Adding Data Logging
Log measured data to a file and open it in Microsoft Excel

> Click here for more National Instruments Videos <
Whitepaper

Temperature Measurements with Thermocouples: How-To Guide

This document is part of the “How-To Guide for Most Common Measurements” centralized resource portal. This tutorial provides a detailed guide for measurement and device considerations to take temperature measurements using thermocouples. Get an introduction to thermocouples, which are inexpensive sensing devices widely used with PC-based data acquisition systems. Also review some specific thermocouple examples and learn how thermocouples work and ways to integrate them into a data acquisition measurement system.

View full PDF > Listen to story >
Find us on Youtube

Videos

Meet 2011 TR35 Winner Jesse Robbins

More

Advertisement

Technology Review Lists

TR50

Our list of the 50 most innovative companies, including the following:

PrimeSense

Lyric Semiconductor

A123 Systems

Pacific Biosciences

More

Advertisement

Facebook

Advertisement