Mar 25
The Frida Cinema Santa Ana, CA
TicketsDr. Jacob Barandes
Lecturer and Co-Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Physics at Harvard University
moderated byAtalia Lopez
Instructor, Chapman University
Oppenheimer— Quantum mechanics and the structure of reality
Program Description
Dr. Jacob Barandes will be joining us remotely for a brief introduction on the key people, physics, and philosophical ideas presented in Oppenheimer which he has named Oppenheimer, Quantum Mechanics, and the Structure of Reality. As he writes: "The film Oppenheimer is based on the book American Prometheus, whose title evokes a mythological being who stole fire from the gods and shared it with humanity. But J. Robert Oppenheimer did not give us the atom bomb alone. As the book and the film both make clear, many people had their hands in the development of nuclear technology. In my talk, I will explain some of the extraordinary underlying physics, like quantum theory and relativity." Dr. Barandes will also lay out the scientific history of the atom bomb, and describe the key personalities featured in Oppenheimer.
This event is part of our 2025 National Evening of Science on Screen.
Film Synopsis
The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Academy Award® winner for Best Picture Oppenheimer is an epic thriller that thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it. The film stars Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer and Emily Blunt as his wife, biologist and botanist Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer. Academy Award winner Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project, and Academy Award winner Robert Downey, Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures
About the Speaker
Dr. Jacob Barandes is a theoretical physicist and philosopher of science at Harvard University. He did his undergraduate work at Columbia University in physics and mathematics, and then completed his PhD in theoretical physics at Harvard. Dr. Barandes currently serves as Lecturer and Co-Director of Graduate Studies for the physics PhD program at Harvard, where he teaches courses on the fundamentals of theoretical physics, classical electromagnetism, general relativity, and the history and philosophy of quantum mechanics. He is also an Associated Faculty member with the Department of Philosophy, and a Faculty Affiliate of the Harvard Black Hole Initiative. His research publications span the foundations of quantum theory, philosophy of science, and quantum field theory. Dr. Barandes also organizes the annual New England Workshop on the History and Philosophy of Physics, as well as an international workshop series on physics and philosophy. You can see some of Dr. Barandes's research and other talks at his website, jacobbarandes.com.
Atalia Lopez is an Australian transplant, Letterboxd devotee, and Frida Cinema board member. She teaches classes on the intersection of film, literature, and the urban environment at Chapman University, and is proudly responsible for exposing hundreds of students to David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. Atalia completed her undergraduate studies in literature at Chapman University and holds a master’s degree from the University of Oxford. You may also know her as the host of The Frida’s monthly Film Trivia Nights, where she invented the celebrated “fourth round stretch.”