..through another party. Yes.
Could we know who?
I think that would be a mistake.
I'll tell you for what reason.
Not to take this person to task in any way.
'By early 1944,
'desperate for more trained
personnel for the atomic bomb
lab at Los Alamos,
'Oppenheimer had to comb the Army lists
'to bring in GIs with scientific and technical qualifications.'
It's pretty sloppy drill, Nick.
They're SEDs, General.
Good God.
'Elsewhere, at several secret locations, vast factories
'whose scale dwarfed even the huge growth of Los Alamos, began to move into the production of
'fissile material.
'At Oppenheimer's laboratory,
'work was now centred on two different ways of
'arming and detonating the bomb.
What've we got here, Oppy?
Hold it!
Firing!
Now!
EXPLOSION
Hey! That's something!
So, how was Tennessee, General? Chicago! I was in Chicago! Oh. What are we doing here?
Well, this is Seth Neddermeyer's baby.
It's implosion - you take a metal cylinder, really a piece of pipe, and wrap it in TNT, and then
look at the effect of the shock waves.
How's it going?
Well, this is no advance, is it?
Let me see! Careful, it's hot.
You see the walls of the cylinder are compressed pretty unevenly.
That's bad?
Well, it ain't implosion.
The shock waves must be symmetric - or else, no implosion.
You remember Bob Bacher?
Yeh.
And this is Seth Neddermeyer.
You're in charge of this implosion?
I guess so. Are you getting anywhere?
We've some VERY interesting results.
But are you getting anywhere?
Have you any idea how difficult this is?
That's a heck of an attitude!
The beauty of implosion is that instead of bringing the two parts together like this,
you're compressing your bomb material together like this
with the force of many detonations all round the outside.
It should bring an explosion very much faster.
But does plutonium have too many stray neutrons for the gun or not?
I've asked Emilio Segre to do some tests. It'll take time.
It'd be a beautiful solution.
If we can do it.
If?! You've GOT to!
God knows how much I've spent on those plutonium plants!
Is Neddermeyer the right guy?
He thought of it.
He didn't impress me as being any great ball of fire.
Seth's got a fine mind.
FINE MINDS! Dammit Oppy! We need MOVERS and SHAKERS right now - NOT FINE MINDS!
Oh, he's a remarkable fellow! Have you met him yet? No. Well, he is - he's a real character.
He's a fat idiot.
No. He may be
a little overweight but NOT an idiot. Dime-store tyrant.
The General is a remarkable administrator
and a lousy scientist.
He hates that but can't help it.
Gee, it's good to be here. It's good to have you.
A toast! To the brothers Oppenheimer! Yeah!
And dependants.
Where're you going to use me, Robert? Have your choice.
Everyone needs help. I thought you'd be overstaffed.
No, not a bit.
We're competing for guys with every other lab.
We even took some SEDs. Yeah, what are they?
Special Engineer Detachments - GIs with technical qualifications.
So, it's got really big here?
Almost 3,000 scientists. Jesus!
And getting bigger!
NOT there.
THERE!
Thanks.
So, how's Berkeley? How's Ernest Lawrence? Oh, he's in good form!
Everything going smoothly at the lab? Still a couple of problems when I left.
We'll talk about that. Shit!
That dumb girl's brought the wrong spoons. KITTY!
So...how's the weather in California?
Hot! It's been marvellous here. Has it?
CRASH
Excuse me.
SHOUTING
What is eating HER?
I mean REALLY?
LOUD CRASH, SHOUTING
Is it us? What is it? What's she after?
"What does woman want?" Freud.
Freud schmeud! She's a bitch, plain and simple.
"It's SO nice you're here." Didn't fool ME.
Take it easy.
You know her problem? What?
I've seen it coming. What?
Yet another husband fails to change her life.
What're you talking about?
Look at the guys she's married.
First, the big-time Communist. He was supposed to change her life.
La Pasionaria. Never happened.
Next, what was he? English, doctor, very chic.
He didn't change her life.
Then Robert, big Berkeley professor.
She wakes up one morning and she finds - no, nothing's changed.
Took her some time, but now she knows, she's the same unhappy bitch.
CHATTER
Implosion? OK? Seth?
Any progress?
No. Any particular problems?
The problem is always the same problem - the symmetry of the shock waves surrounding the core.
We're still working on cylinders and not spheres, but we're not getting very good results.
There's too many variables.
OK. How much leeway do we have?
How symmetrical must this shock wave be?
We've calculated that if a part is moving faster than the rest by, er...
5%, there is a very serious risk of pre-detonation.
And we're nowhere near that?
Nowhere. Right, Seth?
Excuse me!
I'm sorry - could I ask a question?
Let me introduce a British colleague, Dr James Tuck.
Carry on, Doctor. I was wondering if you're using shaped charges.
Seth?
Bob? It may be a difference of terminology but I don't follow.
Well, if I can explain. Sure.
Thank you. Could I, er...?
Basically you make use of the available explosives of different reactive speeds, faster or slower.
It's work we've done on rocketry in England.
Now, supposing I want a nice even shock wave here,
bearing down on my sphere,
then I divide the explosive coating
into segments, like so,
then I put a point detonator
here on the outside, generating shock waves like this.
Now I shape the explosives, putting the slower one in the centre
and coat it with the faster one.
The shock will be slowed in the middle by this block while still moving faster on the outside edge.
And, if you've got the shapes right,
you should have a nice, even shock wave at the bottom here.
You focus shock waves just as a lens focuses light.
It's a sort of explosive lens.
Any reactions? Seth?
Funny, we were thinking along these lines a week or so back. You were?
Mm. It just came up. But we didn't think it was feasible
so we forgot about it.
Maybe you should've discussed it.
Yeah. Suppose it might.
But then,
maybe I've made it sound a bit easy.
Calculating these shapes would be pretty horrendous and
you'd need hundreds of these, so it'd need quite a team.
I should say, Dr Tucker, that we are looking for ideas
to SPEED up our work, not add to our problems.
Oh... Excuse me.
CHATTER
Do you think we could leave science fiction behind now?
OK, Deke. Come on.
I find that EXTRAORDINARY.
An extraordinary description of original creative science. Hold on.
It's a fundamental problem of
physics, and it's just DISMISSED!
Edward!
Because implosion IS so god-damned fundamental, we shouldn't get bogged down in it.
That's TYPICAL of your attitude!
Rushing at problems, looking for the easy way - no matter how crude!
Beautiful complex avenues of research are ignored
in favour of expediency.
Edvard, as I understand it, ve are not here for our own pleasure.
We are in a rather serious race
against time with our opposite
numbers back in Germany.
Please, spare me. I'm SO aware of your opinions...and SO disappointed.
What gives YOU the right?
This young man has a most interesting suggestion, and you dismissed it without a thought!
Absolutely untrue. Well, he has been dismissed, hasn't he? Not by me!
OK, Edward, calm down.
This is a frustrating time for all of us.
It won't do any good for us to fight each other.
But... Sit down, Edward!
OK, Deke.
OK, Edward, just sit down.
The gun method.
Unspectacular. Not very fundamental, but tried and true.
When you started talking in there I thought, "Who needs this?" But we may need some fresh ideas.
What are you working on? Nothing specific - I've just arrived.
Good, I think this needs looking into.
Well, you do realise this is really just a theory? Sure, I can get you help with the computations.
That'd be excellent. You see... There's the question of which explosives to use. Exactly,
and there's the design of... Yes, you'll need pretty sensitive measuring equipment. That's...
If you need help with a camera, Kismos can help you. That'd be excellent, but first I'll need...
Your first problem - you need a first-class scientist. Exactly. Do you know George Kistiakowsky?
Well, I've heard his name. Down here working with Seth Neddermeyer. Crazy. He's a crazy Russian.
He's got a lot of hustle, I'd like you to meet him. That'd be terrific.
EXPLOSION
That'll be George now!
Right, let's have a look at this.
I think there is some improvement.
Sounded like a big one, Kisti.
I vas just clearing my throat!
Someone I'd like you to meet. Ohh!
Dr James Tuck from Great Britain.
How do you do, James?
Hello.
He's got an idea I'd like you to talk over with him. Sure.
Just a minute. Excuse me.
How's it going? You know Seth inch by inch.
Can't you push him a little? I try, but
I'm only a consultant.
Neddermeyer's a difficult man to push, he's a perfectionist, Oppy.
Well, talk to the kid. What he said seemed far-fetched, but
Bethe and Teller liked it.
Sure.
Morning, Priscilla.
Professor Bethe's here.
Hans. Hello, Oppy.
What is it, Hans?
Mein Freund.
Edward?
OK. Sit down.
I have shown him EVERY consideration
and he has shown me NOTHING.
The other day he had a very good idea.
I gave him two of my best people to help him. Now, this morning,
he refuses to go on with it.
Positively refused.
Fundamentally important work and he von't give my men back.
I don't vant to say anything to him any more!
To me he's Scheiss!
I've never seen you angry before.
I have never been in such a position before.
Am I director of the theoretical division or am I not?
All right, I'll speak to him.
I'm sorry, Oppy.
I can't go on like this any more.
It's all right.
I'll speak to him.
Thank you, Oppy.
BACH MUSIC PLAYS SOFTLY
KNOCKING
Here, mind this! Mind, mind!
We're going to make a big castle.
Hello, Robert! What a surprise!
Look who it is!
Eyyy! Goodnight. Aww! You don't like to go to bed, do you?
Hello, Oppy. Edward.
Is there going to be a fight?
Just a little business.
There's going to be a fight.
Don't start breaking the furniture, it's not all paid for!
Can you believe Bach was a German?
Honestly?
Hans Bethe came to see me this morning.
Another good German!
So, how is Hans?
He tells me you refused to work with him.
He asked me to do some very low-grade calculations for him.
Busy work.
A graduate student could've done them. Of course I said no.
From what Hans told me, I gather these calculations were very important.
But the strange thing about Hans...
..is that he seems not to understand my role here.
You asked me to come out here
to develop the Super bomb.
Well, I am here - I am working
on the Super.
Yet Hans thinks he can come to me at any time and work on whatever damn stupid thing...
..he can't find anyone else to do.
Isn't that extraordinary?
Do you mind if I sit down? Please.
Edward...
We've been over this ground half a dozen times.
Our job isn't fundamental research. I wish it were, but it's not.
Our job is to produce a weapon
for this war.
That eliminates the Super for now.
We make progress when we're allowed to work on it.
Are you any nearer to an operational weapon?
No.
Face it, Edward.
Refuse Hans, and you decline to work on a project of importance to your country in time of war.
That isn't fair! How WOULD you describe it?
I wish I could make you see!
Do you think history will stop at the end of this war?
No more wars? No more enemies?
Of course you don't - you're not so innocent.
Don't you SEE, Oppy?
These little bombs you're building now, they'll seem like pop-guns in a few years.
What will you have with your fission bomb?
10,000 tonnes of TNT equivalent?
You might have a blast that will affect ten square miles.
My team have done calculations.
What we find is, the Super will affect over 1,000 square miles.
And that's not all!
Last week we figured out what might happen
if we got a Super to burn a 10m cube of deuterium
at a height of 300 miles.
We calculated the effect would be one of 1,000 ordinary Supers
detonated ten miles up.
I could devastate
100,000 square miles of enemy territory.
You can see I can't lower my sights, Oppy.
I can't waste my time on Hans Bethe's sums.
I don't know what to say. Say I can work uninterrupted.
And if I don't?
I will do my work.
But not here.
If I say yes?
Yes!
Can we still count on you at the colloquium?
If we have any real problems with the fission?
Of course!
Oppy, I'm a sucker for these interesting problems.
But I won't be anyone's assistant - I don't deserve that.
No, I guess not.
So I may concentrate on the Super?
Which is what you wanted me here for originally.
You know,
I sometimes wonder
how it got into this muddle.
No. Stay and listen to my Bach.
No, I don't think so.
You can't say I let you down, Oppy.
I DON'T say that.
Edward.
That's it?
That's it.
The explosive lens?
Looks like any other assembly.
It's underneath.
The layer against the metal.
The shaping.
Against the core we have slow explosive.
The outer layer is the fast explosive.
And if the shape's right, we should be able to advance and retard the shock waves as we want.
Mmm... Don't knock it, Oppy.
We've worked round the clock. I won't knock it
if it does the job.
Will it?
Christ knows. OK, ready!
OK.
Mind your backs.
OK? OK.
Stand by for firing.
Five...
Four...
Three...
Two...
One...
Fire!
EXPLOSION
We have the film on a drum 2ft wide.
At the moment of explosion, the image flicks around the drum,
we have both space and time factors.
Yes, you see, there we have a straight line,
then we have a symmetrical shock wave.
These are experiments from before the lens.
Yes, yes, yes, now, now, these are WITH the lens
and a framing camera, you see?
We're now getting a picture of the shock waves' behaviour
all over the sphere.
Look, look, see, see?
Now the convergence is becoming symmetrical.
ANIMATED CHATTER
It's still nowhere near 5%.
Come on, Deke, he's only started!
I'm simply stating the obvious. That's an improvement, sure, but it's way off symmetry.
But it's a start.
The gun method offers a certain way to critical assembly.
What about Segre?
If and when he reports, things MAY change.
But in the meantime, I say let's put all our efforts into purifying plutonium and perfecting the gun.
But, Deke, this is important work. We should press on.
I'm sorry, but the evidence dictates...
All right, Deke, nobody says we should stop work on the gun, but
we must be ready for the worst. This is very encouraging.
I agree.
Deke is right! This is a long way off symmetry.
Just a first design!
Yes, you're going to need a lot more, hundreds maybe.
It's time for an all-out effort.
OK, Seth, we'll talk about it.
But this is good, this is encouraging.
Nice work, Kisti.
But he takes the credit, young Jim! Yeah!
And Klaus! Klaus, Come on, Klaus!
He worked like a dog too.
We're having some people over tonight, I hope you'll come.
Thanks!
Sorry, boss! I'm going to the dance, you see I couldn't miss that. With respect.
Some other time. OK! Sure, sure.
Hey, Oppy!
When you were talking to Seth, it struck me who should run implosion.
Who?
Henry Ford!
CHUCKLING
Ever been to one of Oppy's parties?
No.
Good luck.
CHOPIN MUSIC PLAYS QUIETLY
Hello, I'm Jim Tuck.
Hello, Enrico Fermi.
Oh.
Enrico! When did you get in?
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Ladies and gentlemen, guys and gals, welcome to the midsummer dance,
held in romantic old Los Alamos!
And now - for your dancing pleasure, we present the celebrated sound of your favourites, my favourites,
our very own, Los Alamos Keynotes!
SWING MUSIC PLAYS
CHOPIN PLAYS SOFTLY
How do?
Oh, hello.
Name's Jim.
Kitty.
How do, Kitty?
You're from England.
It shows, doesn't it?
He's from England too!
Hello - Klaus Fuchs.
Fuchs - that's a fine old English name!
I'm a very new Englishman!
I come from Germany. When the Nazis took over, I left.
Sensible! Kitty, Are you trying to steal Klaus? Micci!
Don't you know? He's the best baby-sitter on the Hill!
I DO like children.
Really? Well, I've got two I'm dying for you to meet!
Klaus, come with me. This woman has designs on you
You will excuse me? Yes.
So, how do you like it here?
Ohhhh.
It's wonderful, I've never been anywhere like it.
Nor me.
Finest brains in the world.
If you say so.
Mount Olympus!
But I'm not happy.
No?
No, I'm very sad.
Ohh, why's that?
Well...
It's my wife.
She doesn't understand you.
No... No.
No, she's back home in England and I miss her like hell.
That's too bad! Can't you get her over?
No, she's waiting for a berth on a ship -
she's been waiting for ages.
Well, she'll make it.
I s'pose.
Think she'll like it here?
Oh, yeah! She fits in anywhere!
If she likes gabbing with the girls, she'll be OK!
There's nothing else to do.
Personally, I can't stand women in a bunch.
Funny smell!
Are you here with your husband?
I think so.
Which one is he?
He's the tall, thin one with unlimited sex-appeal.
Ohhh!
Mrs Oppenheimer, I'm very sorry, I didn't realise! Relax!
You'll get over it. I did!
Ohhh! Ohhh. I think I need another drink.
BAND PLAYS On The Sunny Side Of The Street
Any luck yet?
Every time I go for a dame,
some guy gets there first.
There he is, look!
That's Dr Kistiakowsky, Harvard professor.
Harvard professor, huh? What chance has a poor SED got?
Relax!
What you need is some nice friendly female company
That's what I've been trying to do. No action since I got here.
Looks like no more till the war's over.
You can get action.
Nuts! There's ten guys for every dame up here.
Not if you pay!
You're kidding?
No.
Where? Santa Fe?
Right here.
On the Hill?
On the Hill.
You're shitting me?
No.
# I'm in the mood for love... #
Want to come along?
I can't believe this!
# Simply because you're near me
# Funny but when you're near me
# I'm in the mood for love
# Heaven was in your eyes
# Bright as the stars were under
# So is it any wonder...? #
KNOCKING
Come on in, boys!
Sorry! sorry! Terribly sorry!
Ey, listen! This is a bloody awful party!
Come with me, I've got an idea.
British national song heritage!
From me to you.
# I had a sister Lilly Was a whore in Piccadilly
# And her mother was another in the Strand!
# My father flogged his ...hole in the Elephant and Castle
# We're the most remarkable family in the land! #
LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE
A little alcoholic implosion!
Give us another, Jim!
Oh, careful!
Now, then!
# My father's a lavatory cleaner
# He cleans all the day and the night
# And when he comes home in the evening
# He's covered all over in
# Sweet violets... #
ALL: # Sweeter than all of roses!
# Covered all over
# From head to toe, Covered all over in
# Chain up your... #
SQUEALING, LAUGHTER
A touch of British class! Have you finished making a FOOL of yourself? What? And of me!
I saw you with those bitches. Kitty... I won't be made a fool of HERE! All right, Kitty, come on.
Let go of me! You can't do this!
# The German officers crossed the Rhine, wo-ho! wo-ho! #
Just let me GO!
You're crazy! I'm NOT crazy!
Then you're drunk. I'm NOT drunk.
I'm not crazy - I'm not drunk - I'm not...
I won't be made a fool of.
You don't know what you're saying. I let you get away with it once.
With that BITCH.
Never again, you hear me?
That tramp. What tramp?
In Berkeley.
Kitty! She's dead.
I'm glad!
< SINGING CONTINUES
# He laid her on the lily-white bed, yo-ho! Yo-ho!
I'm SO unhappy.
Goddamn this place.
I'm scared.
Of what?
Will I always feel like this?
How do you feel?
I don't know, I just don't know.
KNOCKING
Oppy, are you in there?
Oh, for Christ's sake.
What is it? I'm sorry, it's Segre. He really wants to see you.
CHATTER
It's useless.
OK.
You've all read Segre's report? Yes. Yes.
The plutonium gun is out.
Sorry, Deke.
A year down the drain.
No, the stuff you found out'll be used elsewhere.
As far as plutonium's concerned, it's implosion.
Or nothing.
Or nothing is right.
Well, maybe, we should just
throw in the sponge on plutonium.
Nonsense!
Could ve purify the plutonium some more?
Afraid not, Hans. Too much time.
And too much money.
Look, where do we go from here?
What about your team, Hans?
Anybody?
Come on, "This is America!"
We got "the greatest physicists in the world," don't we?
"And the greatest athletes!"
"And the greatest movie-stars!"
"And if we don't, we'll..."
ALL: Bring 'em in!
"That's the American way"!
No, I mean it.
I'm sure we can do this.
We'll have to turn this place upside-down.
You've heard?
Rumours.
It puts it all on Neddermeyer.
You don't think he can do it?
Neither do I.
I think YOU could.
Ey?
I think you could.
No, no. Now, wait a minute, Oppy.
I don't think anybody could do it in the present set-up.
No, stick with uranium and the gun method.
Forget about plutonium. We can't.
Right now we can't be sure of enough uranium for ONE bomb.
We can't drop plutonium.
We HAVE to make implosion work.
But, Oppy, be realistic - it'd be like starting all over again.
You'll have whole teams of people working
on the configuration, on the detonating mechanism, on
moulding the explosives.
And a test!
Yes.
You're prepared for that?
We're about to decide on a site.
Oh, yes?
Where?
Southern New Mexico.
Alamogordo Bombing Range.
Other parts of the project are finishing. Everything's possible.
Look, Oppy.
I'm not sure
implosion will even work.
For Christ's sake, Oppy, who wants a project when he doesn't even know
if he's got a CHANCE?!
What the hell do you think I'm doing?
OK.
But Seth's not going to be happy.
Seth has had his crack at it.
That's the way! Decision! Action!
My God! I was right to pick Oppenheimer, wasn't I?
Of course, Neddermeyer's upset.
Is he going to quit? No. All right! Listen!
Command is not a popularity contest. You should
make a note of that.
The way Oppy's grown! I knew he would! You thought I was making
a dumb choice, didn't you?
I knew my man!
You made the right decision. Yes, sirree!
Wish I had half-a-dozen more just like him!
Here... Read that!
That'll give you an idea of what I'm up against.
"We, the undersigned, wish to express our conviction that, to use an atomic weapon in war
"full consultation should be made with
"the scientific personnel on this project."
That comes out of Chicago lab. Know what I found
at Oak Ridge?
Los Alamos is the only plant that I feel safe.
Eggheads aren't in control, and that's due to Oppy!
Boy! I feel like shaking his hand!
Think he'll stay honest?
Oppy? Sure.
You know, Oppy wants what we want.
There's no question about it!
It'd break his heart if he couldn't try this thing.
I figured him out a long time ago.
Know what he really is?
He's just a normal, ambitious guy like anybody else, but
he's an intellectual - he has to have it sugar-coated.
It's good, isn't it? It's good?
We're this close.
Run it again, I vant to gloat!
We have to go down to Alamogordo.
That's very good.
Very reassuring.
Still got a few problems. Huh! Problems!
We've got implosion.
Hope so!
Still on schedule?
Yes. July or August.
I think I put that in my last report.
Yeah. Yeah, I know you did.
FIVE hours!
What am I going to do for five hours?
Look at the scenery.
This test?
It's got to have a name. How about...?
I already thought about that.
Trinity.
Trinity?
I don't know why - I've been reading a lot of Donne lately.
"Batter my heart, three-personed God
"For you, as yet, but knock breathe, shine,
"and seek to mend;
"That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me
"and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn,
"and make me new."
Trinity.
This is it?
Ground zero.
Boom.
This would be nice weather for it.
Have we a date for the shot yet?
Groves wants July 4th!
I don't know if we'll make the 4th. But close to it.
Think it'll go?
I quote Kistiakowsky.
"I believe ve have something that looks like an explosive lens."
I don't know.
I think so.
I don't know.
How're the bunkers?
OK.
North 10,000's finished.
West 10,000 needs a few things,
still working on South 10,000.
Want to take a look? Yeah!
OK, sir.
We'll bring in the rest of the lines tomorrow.
They'll have to come via base-camp.
That's ten miles to the south, General.
I know that - I set up this place.
Yes, of course - I'm sorry.
OK.
Have you got any problems? Well, sir...
How are we doing?
OK. They get pretty bored sometimes.
There's not very much to do at Base Camp - movies, beer.
Looking out for scorpions.
But they've done a good job.
So've you, Ken.
Oh.
Want a look inside?
This is the one you'll be watching from.
Want a laugh?
You know we asked Washington for a frequency for the test?
Well, they've given us practically the same wave length as
a Voice of America
station in California.
RADIO PLAYS BAND MUSIC
Will that be a problem?
I don't think so. It fades in and out.
MUSIC CUTS OFF ABRUPTLY
That was a fast fade.
RADIO: Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our programme
for the following news bulletin.
The President of the United States has died at his home
in Warm Springs, Georgia.
Oh, my God.
They serve supper at Base Camp in 20 minutes - I suggest we...
RADIO: I'll repeat that.
Our President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt has died
at his home in Warm Springs, Georgia.
RADIO PLAYS: My Country, 'Tis Of Thee
Damn!
I can't think of it.
What's that?
The new guy.
What's his name?
Truman.
Know anything about him?
Oh, boy!
I bet he doesn't even know we exist.
God.
Kitty!
Hello, Oppy.
Your wife stepped out for a while. She said it was OK to wait for you.
Is this a social call?
Or a delegation?
We wanted to see you, Oppy. Um,
a number of us are concerned about the future.
Are we REALLY going to hit the Japs?
Ahh, this is what General Groves calls the Chicago disease.
It's not just Chicago - a lot of us here are unhappy.
Have you read the reports from the Metallurgy Lab?
I've read 'em. What did you think?
I just got back from Trinity.
Second trip this week.
How's it look?
Very good.
This bothers you too, Edward?
Very much.
All right, I've read the reports.
I think their proposals on the international control of atomic energy are very interesting.
I've made some
proposals on that myself as you know. Yes, but what about the immediate question?
How to use the bomb?
Or whether to?
Well surely the two questions are linked.
If we use the bomb,
a weapon we've developed in secret, without warning,
we'll have no moral basis to call for control.
I never heard any of this when Germany was the target.
Is that surprising?
No, I SUPPOSE not.
Jesus! We KNOW the Japs haven't got an atomic programme.
Oh, yes, they do.
Oh, come on!
But it hasn't got anywhere.
We're very worried about this, Oppy.
The heart of it is there's no plan to consult us about using the bomb.
I've never seen any sense in deciding whether to use the bomb before we even know if we have it.
And we still don't know. Not until Trinity.
There's no doubt about the uranium.
We KNOW Little Boy will go.
I'm glad to hear that.
Look, I think you may be exaggerating the influence we have.
Certainly with these reports and petitions.
With all due respect, I don't think Washington heeds petitions much.
But I can tell you this.
Secretary Stimson has asked that a scientific advisory panel meet him shortly to discuss this.
I'm on it.
Fermi's on it. Ernest Lawrence,
and Arthur Compton will be there.
Now THAT'S where something can be done.
Face to face - at the top.
And you'll be putting our case?
I don't know what I'll answer until I hear what I'm asked.
But you all know me - we've worked together a long time.
I know your views.
Don't you feel you trust me?
Yes.
We should have known, and not troubled you.
No, no, I'm very glad you came.
I think you must accept that this isn't JUST a scientific decision.
It's political
and military.
But you will be going to Washington? Yes, I'll be there.
That's good.
Thanks, Oppy. Goodnight.
I wanted to see you specially.
I got this today,
from Leo Szilard.
It's a petition.
He thinks he might be able to get this one to Truman.
My name might add some weight.
Yes, I think it certainly might. What do YOU think?
What do you want me to say?
I want your advice.
It would mean a great deal to me to hear what my director has to say about this.
Well, I'll tell you the truth.
I think these people in Chicago are being naive.
Are we really the only ones to see the important issues here?
Are we the only ones qualified to judge?
I think these decisions belong to those elected to make them.
So you don't think I should sign?
I don't think scientists should get mixed up in politics.
No.
It's a terrible responsibility.
DOOR CLOSES