Re:Hollywood Movie Aside, Just How Good a Physicist Was Oppe...
by jhbadger on Friday July 21, 2023 @05:46AM
(#36811905)
Being a scientific administrator (which was Oppenheimer's primary job in the Manhattan Project) is a different job than primarily being a researcher, and Oppenheimer was quite good at it which is all the more impressive given that this was his first administrative role.
Re:Hollywood Movie Aside, Just How Good a Physicist Was Oppe...
by foobarian on Friday July 21, 2023 @08:48AM
(#36813157)
This is kind of like those software engineers who end up great technical managers and eventually directors or above. There is a very valuable skill involved that is not necessarily the same skill that makes a good IC.
Re:Hollywood Movie Aside, Just How Good a Physicist Was Oppe...
by StackOverlord on Friday July 21, 2023 @09:25AM
(#36813479)
> "Oppy".
Hell no.
Re:Hollywood Movie Aside, Just How Good a Physicist Was Oppe...
by naijaboiler on Friday July 21, 2023 @09:19PM
(#36822209)
Being damn good enough to warrant a comparison to Einstein, even if it to mention that you fall short, makes you pretty damn remarkable
But the book compares Oppy’s contemporaries like Hans Beta to Oppy and reaches the same “no Einstein” conclusion. But my read was that that wasn’t a bad thing, Oppy was extremely capable in physics, but his real natural talent was in bringing out the true insights from others rather than making those insights himself directly, and was otherworldly good at coordination leadership. Which is why he led the Los Alamos project.
I don’t think I view “no Einstein” as a dig, but rather a factual truth presented in the best biography of the man and meant to highlight his world beating talent.