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      The Curious Case of J. Robert Oppenheimer

      A review of The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a film by David Grubin, airing on PBS January 26 for the American Experience series, in association with the BBC

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      The Curious Case of J. Robert Oppenheimer
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      Credits: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

      The Curious Case of J. Robert Oppenheimer

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      • DESTROYER OF WORLDS: Trinity, the first test of a nuclear weapon, took place July 16, 1945. Los Alamos National Laboratory
      • THE GADGET: The Trinity nuclear device, known as "the gadget," just before it was tested in 1945. Los Alamos National Laboratory
      • TWO WORLDS: Gen. Leslie Groves, the military director of the Manhattan Project, meets with Oppenheimer, his scientific charge. Department of Energy
      • CLASS IN SESSION: A Los Alamos colloquium features a host of luminaries: Oppenheimer is second from left [ in the second row] , next to Richard Feynman. In the front row [ far left ] is Norris Bradbury, who succeeded Oppenheimer as Los Alamos director; Enrico Fermi is two seats to the right... Los Alamos National Laboratory
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      • NAMESAKES: Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi and Ernest Lawrence pose for a picture. Both Fermi and Lawrence won Nobel Prizes in the 1930s and would later have national laboratories named in their honor. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
      • TWO TITANS: Albert Einstein and Oppenheimer worked together at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., which Oppenheimer directed from 1947 until 1966. Defense Threat Reduction Agency
      • THE CHESS MASTER: J. Robert Oppenheimer in a portrait from around 1944. Los Alamos National Laboratory
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      • DESTROYER OF WORLDS:
      • THE GADGET:
      • TWO WORLDS:
      • CLASS IN SESSION:
      • NAMESAKES:
      • TWO TITANS:
      • THE CHESS MASTER:
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