The Manhattan Project in Oppenheimer with Alice Lovejoy

About this episode

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 383) — Did the Oppenheimer movie get the Manhattan Project right? Today, we'll dig into the film's portrayal of the project. From the Los Alamos we see in the movie to what we don't see in the movie such as Oak Ridge's massive factories, Hanford's plutonium production, and more that you don't ever see in the movie. Get Alice's book Alice Lovejoy is the author of Tales of Militant Chemistry, film scholar, and a professor at the University of Minnesota. She'll join us today to unravel the true story behind the Manhattan Project in the movie. Find more of Alice's work • Army Film and the Avant Garde • Remapping Cold War Media • Visit Alice's website • Follow Alice on Bluesky • Follow Alice on Instagram Listen to the other BOATS episode on Oppenheimer Chapters 00:00 Manhattan Project Overview 04:50 Uranium vs. Plutonium Bombs 09:45 Scale of the Project 15:28 Einstein's Role 20:42 Trinity Test Depiction 25:04 Radiation Concerns 30:51 Project's End & Legacy 33:52 Post-War Impacts Support my work • Join the BOATS community: https://links.boatspodcast.com/community • Become a BOATS Producer (name in credits + ad-free episodes): ht