Kyrou, OConnell

HF8: Polished Draft

Process Paper
Words: 426
We decided to research Robert Oppenheimer's lasting influence on the ethical
question of the use of nuclear weapons. Oppenheimer's development of the atomic bomb
made nuclear warfare possible, and implemented science and technology to cause mass
destruction.
We have found books, articles, and reports about Oppenheimer's leadership in the
atomic development field and how Oppenheimer's development of the atomic bomb
changed the future of nuclear weapons and the fate of the world. Because our project is
not only about Oppenheimer' leadership in the development of the atomic bomb, but also
his legacy in the world of nuclear weapons, we also searched information about his
lasting influence in the nuclear world. After experiencing first hand the devastation that
could be brought on by a nuclear weapon, Oppenheimer wished to change the future of
nuclear weapons. Our research shifted to a focus on the security hearing that tainted
Oppenheimers legacy. We also researched the physical, social, and psychological
effects of atomic and nuclear weaponsparticularly those of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
to heighten our knowledge and understanding of the truly horrific effects of nuclear
weapons.
We choose to do a website because, after we chose our topic, we decided it was a
better medium to display pictures and videos with in order to visually display the
devastation of nuclear warfare. In addition, we can work on it individually and still have
a similar outcome. This will be the best for us because we can have access to it anywhere
we go and not need to go to a specific location or to have to be together in order to work
on it.
Robert Oppenheimer was the leader of the project that birthed the first atomic
weapon, transforming the world by ushering in a new era of nuclear technology and
creating the possibility for humankind to destroy itself. His postwar stature and legacy
were defined by controversy. Oppenheimer publicly expressed profound ambivalence
about the destructive forces that his discoveries had unleashed. Oppenheimer was
initially lauded as a national hero for his successful leadership of the Manhattan Project,
since the US's use of atomic weapons led to a more rapid conclusion of the war against
Japan. Oppenheimer's reputation and image were severely tarnished when he was
brought before the Congress' House Un-American Activities in 1953, during the height of
the notorious McCarthy hearings, and accused of being a Communist and of spying for
the Soviet Union. The enduring legacy of Robert Oppenheimer is to be found in his
laying bare the complex connections between ethics and science in the modern world.