How J. Robert Oppenheimer brought together thousands of scientists to build the world's first atomic bomb

Image(s): J. Robert Oppenheimer/Wikipedia Prior to 1945, nuclear weapons were just an idea that could be discussed in theoretical physics literature. This changed when J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist from America, who was responsible for directing the scientific work of the Manhattan Project in the Second World War, took command of the project. With the assistance of numerous scientists, engineers and members of the military service, Oppenheimer led the creation of the first-ever atomic bombs, including the successful test of Trinity, which occurred on 16 July 1945 in the desert of New Mexico. This marked the beginning of the nuclear age and brought humanity into the possession of a weapon capable of destroying a whole city in seconds.The Manhattan Project united thousands of scientists in a race to build an atomic bombThe Manhattan Project was launched in 1942 after fears grew that Nazi Germany might develop nuclear weapons first.The United States, working with Britain and Canada, assembled one of the largest scientific collaborations ever undertaken. At its centre was Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico, where Oppenheimer served as scientific director. A...