Oppenheimer, the Bomb and the Price of Serving the State

A conversation hosted by New Lehrhaus on October 25, 2026 features biographer David Rieff and publisher Steve Wasserman discussing Robert Oppenheimer, the atomic bomb, and what they describe as the tension between science and state power. Based on Rieff’s new book, Robert Oppenheimer: The Sphinx Without a Secret (Yale University Press), the discussion examines Oppenheimer’s political awakening, his relationship to Jewish identity, and his loyalty to the country that later stripped him of security clearance. The transcript also explores how the government’s handling of Oppenheimer has been used as a warning to other scientists, and why his legacy continues to resonate amid technological and existential uncertainty. The session is presented as a formatted transcript for readability.