Talk:Frank Oppenheimer

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NPOV[edit]

The article refers to Oppenheimer being "branded" a Communist. Elsewhere in the article it states that Oppenheimer testified that he and his wife had been members of the Communist Party. If he was branded, it was a self-branding. The article also states that he was a target of McCarthyism. While recognizing that there is a difference between McCarthy and McCarthyism, McCarthy was a Senator, and therefore never a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee, which is where Oppenheimer was called to testify. 96.35.160.223 (talk) 06:38, 25 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Membership in the Communist Party was common, and not a big deal, in the 1930s. And HUAC was certainly an instrument of McCarthyism, chamber formalities notwithstanding. E Eng 23:42, 5 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

NPOV response[edit]

For Oppenheimer, he was branded a security risk and a person with possible communist ties at the time he was called in front of HUAC, even though he'd only been a member of the Communist Party for a few years during the previous decade. Actually, "McCarthyism" is the correct term here. From Wikipedia's own page on the subject: "McCarthyism" soon took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts. The term is also now used more generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries."

ExploratoriumPI (talk) 22:15, 28 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Picture[edit]

Isn't there a younger picture of him? The current picture doesn't look right for an encyclopedic article. An old B&W headshot would look better. Jigen III (talk) 22:35, 9 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed. It's a terrible picture. I'll see what I can do. Figureofnine (talk • contribs) 23:43, 11 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

it's a bit jarring and the composition would be more befitting for a fictional character UlyssesYYZ (talk) 02:58, 13 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I disagree strongly with the two comments above, which strike me as fatuous. Frank and Jackie were friends, from my wife's time in Colorado and my own time helping him with the Exploratorium's initial displays. I think the picture is excellent, true to the character of the man.

David Lloyd-Jones (talk) 01:50, 8 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

then tell me why an intelligent person wouodl smoke and join the communist party? Juror1 (talk) 06:42, 24 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The above bit of trolling could be answered with the observation that the statistics proving a link between smoking and poor health, notably lung cancer, were for years discounted. I have seen it argued that they were obfuscated by Fisher - of all people - who smoked himself and for years pushed the agenda of the tobacco lobby. It may also be relevant that the Nazi health system cottoned on to that link and pushed heavily for abolition of smoking; in consequence, that stand had a bad press. Sort of like vegetarianism taking a hit from Hitler being one.

But the real answer is that being a genius in one field does not prevent being a damn fool in an unrelated one.

As far as a source for photographs goes, try the "Exploratorium" PDF file at http://www.exploratorium.edu/files/frank/images/mag_frank_o-200max.pdf. The photographs on page 3 for example are not copyrightable by the Exploratorium, for they were provided by his last wife, Millie Oppenheimer, who he married a couple of years after the death of his first wife Jacquenette (died Feb. 13th., 1980).

I notice that the article does not mention Millie as his second wife, but the above document is a reference. Also, one could refer to David Hawkins's Interview for the Manhattan Project Voices documents, eg. at the end of: http://www.manhattanprojectvoices.org/oral-histories/david-hawkinss-interview-part-2, where Hawkins notes (as of 1982) they were recently married.

122.58.35.27 (talk)

Media section and reference[edit]

The WBGH Nova episode on developing Exploratorium exhibits needs to be mentioned and referenced. I can't recall its title, but it had Frank (I met him a couple of times during the last 3 years of his life) involved with 1/3rd of the whole program developing his exhibit. 162.234.1.91 (talk) 05:38, 3 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Wiki Education assignment: Cold War Science[edit]

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 16 January 2024 and 3 May 2024. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Animal's Side Of The Moon, Yoke0003, StevenB1208 (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by StevenB1208 (talk) 23:48, 5 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Relationship to brother[edit]

Would it be of any value to add a small section about his relationship with his brother? I feel like in RJO's book there are many instances of him being portrayed as a father figure for Frank, with the book even flat out saying it at one point. I just wanted to ask before I edit, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Animal's Side Of The Moon (talk) 19:25, 25 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Recent school edits[edit]

Apparently there is a university class that is assigned to edit this article. Please remember that this is an encyclopedia, not a eulogy or essay about how great Oppenheimer is and how he has changed the world forever. Content has to be written in a neutral voice, without puffery, and backed up by reliable sources. To get an idea of how the article should sound, have a look at the natural sciences section of the Good Articles list, particularly the biographies. ... discospinster _talk 01:38, 6 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

It seems like some members of this group are also working on David L. Hill. Is there any way for an admin to contact a class directly, or do we just have to hope they check the talk pages? miranda ^:3 01:42, 6 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure about contacting the class instructor but it might be a good idea to advise on the articles' talk pages about neutrality, etc., and then link to it in an edit summary. ... discospinster _talk 02:04, 6 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I feel really bad about discouraging undergraduates (see [1]) but the fact is these efforts almost always end in tears. E Eng 04:22, 6 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]