oppenheimer

A park ranger gave us a tour around Ashley Pond, stopping at points of the walking loop to share visual aides and facts, diving deeper into atomic weapon development, the Uranium enrichment process, and espionage of Klaus Fuchs. Some folks on the tour were related to others who were part of the Manhattan Project, sharing additional anecdotes of storytelling.

About 2 blocks away northeast were former living quarters of those involved on-site. I stopped at the Hans Beth House, which had been converted into a small museum with artifacts and installations highlighting scientific minds like Frederick Reines, Harold Agnew, and Norris Bradbury. I’ve never stared that closely at a Nobel Prize.

Lastly and next door was the Oppenheimer House. The inside was not open to the public. The interior was preserved with furniture and set pieces tactfully placed for filming of the Christopher Nolan movie Oppenheimer. It is interesting to ponder that a nerve center during a critical juncture of a World War resided in a modest living room.

Ideas that impact the lives and futures of millions often started in a cluttered kitchen, dusty garage, or coffee stained diner table. Which means we all have the same inflection point to affect far more than we realize: to great good or great harm.