The Another Europe Podcast

94: Robert Oppenheimer, anti-fascism and the nuclear bomb

Sep 1, 2023

Prominent scientist Robert Oppenheimer and the role of left-wing scientists in the development of the nuclear bomb are discussed. The mindset of scientists during the atomic bomb race and their limited understanding of its destructive power is explored. The podcast also delves into the Labour Party's nuclear policy, American financial support in post-WWII Europe, and the fear of nuclear war in the 80s compared to the present day.

47:33

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Episode guests

Robert Oppenheimer

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Quick takeaways

Left wing scientists were motivated by anti-fascist sentiments to develop the nuclear bomb as a means to prevent Nazi Germany from obtaining it.

The podcast raises questions about the motivations and consequences of shifting from atomic bombs to hydrogen bombs in the 1950s and emphasizes the failure to reach agreements on nuclear disarmament.

Deep dives

The Rise and Fall of Robert Oppenheimer

This podcast episode explores the life of Robert Oppenheimer, encompassing his involvement in the fight against Nazis, the development of the atomic bomb, and the red scare of the 1950s. The podcast delves into the historical context behind these events, touching on Oppenheimer's associations with the Manhattan Project and the Pugwash conferences. It highlights the ethical dilemmas faced by progressive American intellectuals at the time, as well as the continued threat of nuclear weapons in today's world.

Introduction

4min

The Mindset of Scientists Working on the Atomic Bomb

24min

The Mindset behind Directed Lasers and the Hydrogen Bomb

4min

Labour Party's Nuclear Policy, Brexit, and Contrasting Experiences of Europe and America

3min

Financial dependence, American support, and the tragedy of Eastern Europe

5min

Growing up scared and the risks of nuclear war

7min

It was a scientific discovery that changed the world forever. The nuclear bomb was largely a brainchild of left wing scientists who were determined Nazi Germany would not win the race to build this terrible weapon. The recent Hollywood biopic focuses on the role of Robert Oppenheimer in this fascinating period in history, the man who led the team working under the direction of the American government in this top secret project, who would become a prominent victim of the McCarthyite purges in the 1950s.

In this podcast, Luke Cooper and Zoe Williams talk to LSE professor and Another Europe Is Possible member, Mary Kaldor, about this fascinating history. While she never met Oppenheimer himself, Kaldor met a number of other figures in the film and others that didn't make it into the script, particularly at the Pugwash conferences on disarmament that created a unique space for dialogue between scientists on either side of the Cold War divide.

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The Another Europe Podcast

94: Robert Oppenheimer, anti-fascism and the nuclear bomb

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Rise and Fall of Robert Oppenheimer

The Complex Motivations behind Nuclear Weapons

The Shift to the Hydrogen Bomb and the Arms Race

The Current Landscape and the Need for Nuclear Disarmament

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts