Janna Levin

There's a story that Oppenheimer was sitting outside of the auditorium when Wheeler was coming forth with his declaration that, in fact, black holes were the likely end state of gravitational collapse for very, very heavy stars. And when asked about it, Oppenheimer sort of said, well, I've moved on to other things.

I think it's an excruciating moment in the history of science. People talk about Heisenberg, who stayed in Germany and worked for the Nazis in their own attempt to build the bomb. There was this kind of hopeful talk that maybe Heisenberg had intentionally derailed the nuclear weapons program, but I think that's been largely discredited, that he would have made the bomb, could he?

I think it's an excruciating moment in the history of science. People talk about Heisenberg, who stayed in Germany and worked for the Nazis in their own attempt to build the bomb. There was this kind of hopeful talk that maybe Heisenberg had intentionally derailed the nuclear weapons program, but I think that's been largely discredited, that he would have made the bomb, could he?

I think it's an excruciating moment in the history of science. People talk about Heisenberg, who stayed in Germany and worked for the Nazis in their own attempt to build the bomb. There was this kind of hopeful talk that maybe Heisenberg had intentionally derailed the nuclear weapons program, but I think that's been largely discredited, that he would have made the bomb, could he?

Had he not made some really kind of simple... errors in his original estimates about how much material would be required or how they would get over the energy barriers. And that's a terrifying thought.

Had he not made some really kind of simple... errors in his original estimates about how much material would be required or how they would get over the energy barriers. And that's a terrifying thought.

Had he not made some really kind of simple... errors in his original estimates about how much material would be required or how they would get over the energy barriers. And that's a terrifying thought.

I don't know that any of us can really put ourselves in that position of imagining that we're faced with that quandary, having to take the initiative to participate in thinking of a way that quantum mechanics can kill people and then making the bomb. I think overwhelmingly physicists today feel we should not continue in the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

I don't know that any of us can really put ourselves in that position of imagining that we're faced with that quandary, having to take the initiative to participate in thinking of a way that quantum mechanics can kill people and then making the bomb. I think overwhelmingly physicists today feel we should not continue in the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

I don't know that any of us can really put ourselves in that position of imagining that we're faced with that quandary, having to take the initiative to participate in thinking of a way that quantum mechanics can kill people and then making the bomb. I think overwhelmingly physicists today feel we should not continue in the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Very few theoretical physicists want to see this continue.

Very few theoretical physicists want to see this continue.

Very few theoretical physicists want to see this continue.

In the game theory version, this was the least harmful outcome. Yes. Yes. But there is no outcome with an Obam that any game theorist would, I think, would play. Right.

In the game theory version, this was the least harmful outcome. Yes. Yes. But there is no outcome with an Obam that any game theorist would, I think, would play. Right.

In the game theory version, this was the least harmful outcome. Yes. Yes. But there is no outcome with an Obam that any game theorist would, I think, would play. Right.

They don't have control, right. Once it's made, it's no longer scientific reasoning that dictates the use or it's restraint. But I will say that I do believe that it wasn't a 31 third down the line because science America was different. And I think that's something we have to think about right now in this particular climate. So many scientists fled here. They fled to here.

They don't have control, right. Once it's made, it's no longer scientific reasoning that dictates the use or it's restraint. But I will say that I do believe that it wasn't a 31 third down the line because science America was different. And I think that's something we have to think about right now in this particular climate. So many scientists fled here. They fled to here.

They don't have control, right. Once it's made, it's no longer scientific reasoning that dictates the use or it's restraint. But I will say that I do believe that it wasn't a 31 third down the line because science America was different. And I think that's something we have to think about right now in this particular climate. So many scientists fled here. They fled to here.

Americans weren't fleeing to Nazi Germany. They came here and they were motivated. It's more than a patriotism. I mean, it was a patriotism, obviously, but it was sort of more than that. It was really understanding the threat of Europe, what was going on in Europe, and how quickly it turned.