Robert Oppenheimer Research Paper

On April 22, 1904, the cries of a newborn J. Robert Oppenheimer were heard. He was born into a wealthy New York family. His father, Julius Oppenheimer was an immigrant from Germany in his family’s textile importing business while his mother; Ella Friedman was a painter in New York where her ancestry had been there for generations. Later on, he would receive a little brother named Frank, who would be also be a future physicist. At a young age, he was a sheltered child who was instilled morals, educational values, and proper etiquette. Due to this he was more fragile and a bookworm often becoming the target of being bullied. However, it was obvious that Oppenheimer had high intellect. At one point he was interested in mineralogy, and was asked …show more content…
Oppenheimer had attended a private school called the Ethical Culture School of New York and in 1921, he graduated at the top of his class even with taking 10 courses including French and German. However in the same year, Oppenheimer was infected with dysentery – a painful intestinal infection that is caused by bacteria or parasites. He was unable to attend Harvard during this time. His parents were determined to send him with a tutor to Santé Fe, New Mexico to let him toughen up and get his health back. Little did they know in 20 years, it would be a place that created the weapon of mass destruction, the atomic bomb. After immersing himself with nature – taking horse-riding trips to the wild and which made him fond of the outdoors, his health improved. In 1922, he returned and started studying mathematics, science, philosophy and religion additionally English and French literature. However it was during the thermodynamics course taught by Percy Bridgman – Higgins University professor of physics at Harvard, Oppenheimer was introduced to experimental physics attracting his attention. Three years later in 1925, graduating summa