#Research in Atomic Bomb Literature

[nobuyukikakigi]

2024年春の仕事

ここへ来てようやく春らしい陽射しが注いでくるようになりました。それまで福岡では、気温は平年と変わらないものの、重い雲が垂れ込め、時折雨風が強くなる日が続いていて、気分も体調も落ち込むことが多かったので嬉しく思っています。学期の始まりの慌ただしさもようやくひと段落し、溜め込んだ仕事に少しずつ取り組んでいるところです。美学と哲学の講義にも、またこれらを深めるゼミにも熱心な学生がいて刺激を受けています。ゼミではエドワード・W・サイードの晩年の著作を読み始めました。彼が何を問い続けてきたのかを顧みることをつうじて、現在の厳しい状況を見通す思考の方途を探れればと思います。 3月8日に広島交響楽団の演奏会を聴くために訪れた広島にて さて、3月から4月の仕事についてご報告しておきたいと思います。まず、書評紙『週間読書人』の3月1日号に、郁文堂から昨年末に刊行されたヨアヒム・ゼング編／細見和之訳『ア…

[gupaooooon]

NoBarbenheimer

今回の件、原爆投下/原水爆をミーム化/ネタ化する動きの加速に対して。フェミニズムな作品であることがとても楽しみだったバービーの……“公式アカウント”が乗っかっていたという事実。そのショックについて。自分も抗議を送ったりTwitter/Tumblrでタグを使ったひとりですが、

「日本のみ」が被爆国ではないし、「日本人とされれる人々のみ」が被爆被害者ではない。

凡ゆる国と地域で被爆被害があり、凡ゆる国や地域の人々が、被害者が、世界中にいること。

“戦争被爆国”としての日本においては、戦時下で、軍国主義/差別主義の中で更に更にマイノリティとして虐げられた人々が、植民地支配/強制連行による被害者や、捕虜として収容されていた人々が、沢山、犠牲になっているし、その後も苦しみ続けている。日本/政府による迫害と差別に晒されている。その存在が、事実が、歴史が、蔑ろにされ続けている。

原爆/原水爆の犠牲者が、被害者が、いまも、世界で、さまざまな場所で、苦しみ続けていること。その歴史について。

それらを踏みにじるような言葉も、それらについて誤った認識を与える言葉も、Twitter上では多く（差別主義者/ネトウヨ/極右なども、バービーという作品そのものとそこにあるフェミニズムや多様性に対する一方的な揶揄/叩きや、韓国へのデマ/ヘイトや、他の悲惨な歴史や事件を更にミームにして茶化し出すという……醜悪な最低最悪な行いをぶち撒けながら、この抗議タグをTwitter上で利用してきていることもあり、）かなり蔓延してきてるようなので。

Twitterで今回自分がRTさせて頂いた……さまざまな方々が紹介していた記事やアーカイブ/今までTwitter上で自分がRTしてきたり引用してきたりした記事なども、自分用と兼ねて、いくつか、改めて、此方にも引用してみます。

また、再度、強調したいのですが、

日本は、今なお、戦争責任/加害の歴史に向き合おうとしない。戦争の責任と記録と歴史を忘却し、捻じ曲げようとする歴史修正主義が、まさにいま、どんどん勢いを増し続けている現状。核廃絶について背を向けるばかりか、核武装について“柔軟な議論”などとほざいて嬉々として語り出す連中が、差別主義者の糞どもが、万年与党であること。

そこを無視することこそ、恐ろしいことで、忘れてはならないこと。（これもほんと繰り返しだが、この現状だからこそ、戦争/核を軽視しないための抗議の責任があること、強調したい）

・日本だけではない、被爆国

「核兵器を開発するためには実験が必要です。1945年、アメリカのニューメキシコ州で世界で初めての核実験が行われてから、これまで2,050回以上の核実験が行われきました。

アメリカはネバダ砂漠や太平洋でロシアはカザフスタンや北極海で、イギリスはオーストラリアや太平洋の島国で、フランスはアルジェリアや南太平洋の仏領ポリネシア・タヒチで中国は新疆ウイグル自治区で実施しました。ワシントンやモスクワなどの大都市から遠く離れ、多くの場合は植民地や先住民族の暮らしている土地でした。（川崎　哲「核兵器はなくせる」、岩波ジュニア新書、2018）」

・Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Multilingual Bibliography

「ABOUT US: The Aim of Our Project

In 2014, a year before the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we started our survey and research into the multilingual publication of atomic bomb literature. Our goal is to make a comprehensive survey into the process of worldwide acknowledgment of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for 70 years.」

・外国人戦争犠牲者追悼核廃絶人類不戦碑

「この戦争の末期、長崎では数次にわたる米軍の空襲、潜水艦攻撃、そして八月九日の原爆 によって七万余の日本人、数千の朝鮮人、中国人労働者、華僑、留学生、連合軍捕虜(イギ リス、アメリカ、オーストラリア、オランダ、インドネシア等)が犠牲となった。

特に浦上刑務所のあった隣接する丘では、三十二名の中国人、十三名の朝鮮人が、日本人 受刑者とともに爆死し、また香焼や幸町の捕虜収容所では、被爆前に病気や事故などによ って数百名の連合軍兵士が死亡した」

「碑の建立に力を注いだのは、戦時中に収容所の職員だった田島治太夫さん（九九年死去）。一緒に運動した鎌田信子さん（７２）は「日本人だけでなく、多くの外国人が犠牲になったことを知ってもらいたい」と語る。」（2005/07/15 掲載記事）

・被爆２世、女性として直面した複合差別　――「韓国のヒロシマ」陜川から

「2023年２月７日、被爆者の援護を定めた法の対象外となっているのは不当だとして、被爆２世が国を訴えていた裁判の判決が広島地裁で言い渡された。「不当な差別とは評価できない」などとして、原告の訴えは棄却された。被爆２世に対しては、厚生労働省が定めた要綱に基づく健康診断が実施されているものの、がん検診はそこに含まれず、各種手当の交付なども受けられない。」

「原爆被害に加え、それ以前からの植民地支配に翻弄されてきた韓国人被爆者の次世代も、「線引きの外側」に置かれ、公的な支えを受けられずに生きてきた。」

・80歳を過ぎて語り始めた被爆体験――福島へ手渡したい思いとは

「切明さんの話は、「あの日」から始まるのではなく、軍都「廣島」の話から始まる。

「広島は今、平和を守ることや、核兵器廃絶を掲げていますが、77年前までは軍国主義の街でした」

切明さんが国民学校２年生の時、満州事変が起きる。広島城の周辺には陸軍の師団が置かれており、宇品港は中国大陸や、その後の東南アジアの国々侵略のための出発港だった。」

・「存在しない」とされた残留放射線、内部被ばくの被害を認めない政府

「こうした政府の態度の根底にあるのは、残留放射線による内部被ばくの否定だ。放射性物質を体内に取り込む危険性から目を背ける、その姿勢の源流を知るためには、日米の歴史を紐解く必要がある。

『原水爆時代〈上〉―現代史の証言』（今堀誠二）や 『核の戦後史:Q&Aで学ぶ原爆・原発・被ばくの真実』（木村朗、高橋博子）でも示されているが、原爆投下から１ヵ月後、マンハッタン計画の副責任者であるトーマス・ファーレル氏は、下記のような声明を発表したとされる。

「広島・長崎では、死ぬべきものは死んでしまい、９月上旬において、原爆放射能の余燼ために苦しんでいる者は皆無だ」

残留放射能が存在しないとした理由について記者からの質問を受け、ファーレル氏は「相当の高度で爆発させた」ことを挙げていた。

なぜこうした声明を出すに至ったのか。『核の戦後史』の他、『封印されたヒロシマ・ナガサキ』などの著者でもある奈良大学の高橋博子教授は、占領を円滑に進める必要がある米国側の意図を指摘する。

「声明には、原爆投下が国際法違反であることを否定し、広島を取材した連合国軍記者による報道を打ち消す狙いがあったと思われます」　」

「　「日本政府は核兵器の残酷さや非人道性を訴えるどころか、その“威力”を重視し、原爆攻撃をした米国と一緒になって、核兵器の有効性を世界に向けて訴えてきたといえます。核の“パワー”の肯定的イメージを拡散してきた、世界に対する責任は重いと思います」　」

・«さもしいといって下さいますな»　福田須磨子さんの思い　原爆を背負って(30)

「　《何も彼（か）も　いやになりました　原子野に屹立（きつりつ）する巨大な平和像　それはいい　それはいいけど　そのお金で何とかならなかったかしら　“石の像は食えぬし腹の足しにならぬ”　さもしいといって下さいますな　原爆後十年をぎりぎりに生きる　被災者の偽らぬ心境です》

　1955年8月、被爆詩人・福田須磨子さん＝74年に52歳で死去＝が詠んだ詩「ひとりごと」です。須磨子さんは23歳のとき、爆心地から1・8キロ地点で被爆。高熱や脱毛など後遺症に苦しみ、紅斑症にもかかります。身体的、精神的苦痛と生活苦にさいなまれる日々…。3千万円の巨費を投じて造られた平和祈念像を見て、この詩を詠みました。」

・問われる空襲被害者の戦後補償

この記事は2020年放送のNHKスペシャル「忘れられた戦後補償」を下地にした2021年放送のクローズアップ現代の記事です。もとのNHKスペシャルを記事化したページは……もう削除されてしまい、この別番組の記事しか残っていない状況です。

被爆被害とは違った話なのですが、日本が戦後も、ずっと、いかに、国内外問わず、戦争責任に向き合っていない国であるか。民間人/市民を切り捨て、権力者/軍部を優遇してきたか。それがわかりやすい記事のひとつとして、引用します。

以下はNHKスペシャルの特集記事から当時引用した文面です。

「大将経験者の遺族には、戦犯であっても、兵の6.5倍の補償を実施。閣僚経験者に対しては、現在の貨幣価値で年1000万円前後が支払われていた。その一方で、旧植民地出身の将兵は、恩給の対象から外された。」

「国家が総動員体制で遂行し、破滅への道をたどった日本の戦争。犠牲となった民間人は80万人。戦後、国家補償を求めた民間被害者の訴えは一貫して退けられてきた。」

「ドイツやイタリアと違い、軍と民の格差が時代とともに拡大していった日本の戦後補償」

（しかしNHKの戦争責任を問う特集関係の読みやすいWEB記事や記録は……数年しか残さない、消されてしまうし。オンデマンド配信に全て入る訳ではないようだしで。戦争の真実シリーズの731部隊の特集の書籍化は何年も延期が続き、今年やっと……出版されそう……？である現状（何かしらの検閲を受けていないかが、不安である）、本当に不気味で、最悪だ）

[a-forger-and-a-point-man]

Hi I don't have a question but let you know I reblogged your post on Oppenheimer and the non-mention of the victims from the Tularosa village and the Mescalero Apache Reservation involving Native Americans and Hispanic Americans, anyway I haven't seen the film but believe the research done for creating this post and I have added more tags taken from the body of the post. Victims should be acknowledged. I will be posting a similar post about the British atomic tests and how our government in 1955 in north west South Australia requisitioned 1,158 square miles of land for them and as early as 1952 were relocating Anangu people (First Nations or Aboriginal people) from Maralinga Tjarutja lands and then tested 7 atomic bombs and did other tests but didn't adequately warn and find all people before testing causing blindness, radiation poisoning and left with a legacy of radiation related health problems. British packed up and left in 1963 and have since spent along with Australian government cleaning the affected area which some say isn't really complete and handed land back to traditional owners in 2009 and tourists have been coming to Maralinga since 2016 but only being told the British side of the story not the Aboriginal side which I hope has changed now and that the traditional owners who indicated in this research I did wanted to take over the tours of the test site and tell both sides and all the history. Sorry for taking up so much space on your blog but I just needed you to know about the kindred spirit I feel due to the fact my white people in the past did this same thing and many other bad things since invading their country in 1788. We even stole their children away from them. My information came from abc.net.au. Looking at your posts I see you help people find stories in the fandom literature area and I think that is great. I also like that you understand that factual tags are important to find similar subjects in the Tumblr search engine. Cheers from Australia.

Hi there, thank you for this deeply important note! I really appreciate this kinda thing!!!

Glad you mentioned it because I had to mute notifications on my original post — it went up to 10K notes in less than two days and my notifications tab was exploding, so sadly if people are adding interesting things I am missing them.

This is such an important issue and we need to seize the moment to get the word out about the impact of nuclear bomb testing.

I am ashamed to say I didn’t know about the UK tests in Australia and what a surprise, of course it affected Aboriginal Australians. Please tag me in your post so I can read / reblog! I’m very interested in learning further.

❤️

[dan6085]

Here’s a list of the top 25 history books published from 1960 onwards. These books have been selected for their impact, scholarly contributions, and influence on public understanding of history. Each entry includes an overview and significance to help you understand why it’s considered a standout in modern historical literature.

### 1. **"The Guns of August" by Barbara W. Tuchman**

- **Published**: 1962

- **Overview**: A vivid account of the first month of World War I, exploring the decisions that led to the conflict. Tuchman delves into the diplomatic, political, and military events that shaped the war’s onset.

- **Significance**: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Tuchman’s narrative style and meticulous research made history accessible to a broad audience and changed how the First World War was studied.

### 2. **"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William L. Shirer**

- **Published**: 1960

- **Overview**: Shirer, a journalist and eyewitness to many of the events in Nazi Germany, provides a comprehensive history of Hitler’s regime from its inception to its collapse.

- **Significance**: This work became one of the most authoritative accounts of Nazi Germany, widely read and cited in both scholarly and popular contexts.

### 3. **"Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared Diamond**

- **Published**: 1997

- **Overview**: Diamond examines how environmental and geographical factors shaped the development of human societies and influenced global inequalities.

- **Significance**: This book won the Pulitzer Prize and is celebrated for its interdisciplinary approach, influencing fields like anthropology, history, and geography.

### 4. **"The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes**

- **Published**: 1986

- **Overview**: An in-depth history of the development of nuclear weapons, from the discovery of nuclear fission to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

- **Significance**: Rhodes won the Pulitzer Prize for this work, which is considered the definitive history of the atomic bomb’s creation and its impact on the modern world.

### 5. **"A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn**

- **Published**: 1980

- **Overview**: Zinn presents American history from the perspective of marginalized groups, including Native Americans, African Americans, and the working class.

- **Significance**: This book challenged traditional narratives and inspired a new generation of historians to explore history from the bottom up.

### 6. **"The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York" by Robert A. Caro**

- **Published**: 1974

- **Overview**: A biography of Robert Moses, the powerful urban planner whose projects shaped modern New York City. Caro examines Moses’ influence on urban development and politics.

- **Significance**: This Pulitzer Prize-winning work is a landmark in the field of biography and urban history, demonstrating the complex interplay between power and public policy.

### 7. **"The Origins of Totalitarianism" by Hannah Arendt**

- **Published**: 1951 (reprinted and revised in 1966)

- **Overview**: Arendt explores the origins and nature of totalitarian regimes, focusing on Nazism and Stalinism. She examines how modern ideologies led to unprecedented levels of state control and violence.

- **Significance**: Arendt’s work is considered a seminal analysis of totalitarianism and remains influential in political science, history, and philosophy.

### 8. **"The Vietnam War: An Intimate History" by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns**

- **Published**: 2017

- **Overview**: Accompanying the acclaimed documentary series by Ken Burns, this book provides a comprehensive and personal account of the Vietnam War, drawing on interviews, archival footage, and historical analysis.

- **Significance**: The book offers a detailed and balanced view of one of the most controversial conflicts in American history, making it accessible to a wide audience.

### 9. **"The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914-1991" by Eric Hobsbawm**

- **Published**: 1994

- **Overview**: Hobsbawm chronicles the "short 20th century," from the outbreak of World War I to the collapse of the Soviet Union. He examines the political, economic, and social changes that defined the century.

- **Significance**: Hobsbawm’s work is a masterful synthesis of global history, providing a comprehensive overview of the most tumultuous period in modern history.

### 10. **"The Cold War: A New History" by John Lewis Gaddis**

- **Published**: 2005

- **Overview**: Gaddis offers a concise and accessible history of the Cold War, drawing on newly available sources and his expertise as a leading historian of the period.

- **Significance**: The book is praised for its clarity and balanced analysis, making it a key text for understanding the global conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union.

### 11. **"The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism" by Naomi Klein**

- **Published**: 2007

- **Overview**: Klein argues that governments and corporations exploit disasters—whether natural or man-made—to implement neoliberal policies that would otherwise be politically untenable.

- **Significance**: Klein’s work sparked widespread debate about the ethics and consequences of economic policies and remains influential in discussions of globalization and economic inequality.

### 12. **"The Silk Roads: A New History of the World" by Peter Frankopan**

- **Published**: 2015

- **Overview**: Frankopan shifts the focus of world history from the West to the East, highlighting the importance of the Silk Roads in shaping global history.

- **Significance**: The book challenges Eurocentric narratives and offers a fresh perspective on global history, emphasizing the interconnectedness of different regions.

### 13. **"The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America" by Erik Larson**

- **Published**: 2003

- **Overview**: Larson intertwines the story of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago with that of a serial killer who used the fair as a hunting ground.

- **Significance**: This work of narrative nonfiction is praised for its gripping storytelling and meticulous research, bringing to life a pivotal moment in American history.

### 14. **"The Liberation Trilogy" by Rick Atkinson**

- **Published**: 2002-2013

- **Overview**: A trilogy covering the American role in the European theater during World War II. Atkinson’s detailed narrative spans from the North African campaign to the fall of Berlin.

- **Significance**: The trilogy is highly regarded for its thorough research and vivid storytelling, offering an in-depth account of the Allied forces’ efforts in the war.

### 15. **"The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson**

- **Published**: 2010

- **Overview**: Wilkerson chronicles the migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North and West between 1915 and 1970. She tells the story through the lives of three individuals who made the journey.

- **Significance**: The book is a powerful exploration of one of the most significant demographic shifts in American history and its impact on the country’s culture and politics.

### 16. **"Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin**

- **Published**: 2005

- **Overview**: Goodwin examines how Abraham Lincoln built and managed a cabinet composed of his political rivals during the Civil War. The book offers insights into Lincoln’s leadership and character.

- **Significance**: The book is celebrated for its deep research and compelling narrative, influencing both historians and political leaders.

### 17. **"The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914" by David McCullough**

- **Published**: 1977

- **Overview**: McCullough provides a detailed history of the construction of the Panama Canal, one of the most ambitious engineering projects in history.

- **Significance**: The book won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, and it is praised for its narrative style and comprehensive coverage of the canal’s impact on global trade and geopolitics.

### 18. **"Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945" by Tony Judt**

- **Published**: 2005

- **Overview**: Judt offers a comprehensive history of Europe from the end of World War II to the early 21st century, covering political, economic, and cultural developments.

- **Significance**: The book is a masterful synthesis of postwar European history, providing insights into the continent’s recovery and the challenges it faced during the Cold War and beyond.

### 19. **"The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough**

- **Published**: 2015

- **Overview**: McCullough tells the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright, who invented the first successful airplane. The book explores their perseverance, ingenuity, and impact on the world.

- **Significance**: McCullough’s narrative is both informative and inspiring, offering a detailed account of the Wright brothers and their groundbreaking achievements, making it a significant work in the history of aviation.

### 20. **"Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943" by Antony Beevor**

- **Published**: 1998

- **Overview**: Beevor’s book is a comprehensive account of the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the deadliest and most pivotal battles of World War II. He details the brutality of the conflict and its impact on the course of the war.

- **Significance**: This book is celebrated for its exhaustive research and vivid portrayal of the horrors of war, offering new insights into one of history’s most studied battles.

### 21. **"King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa" by Adam Hochschild**

- **Published**: 1998

- **Overview**: Hochschild exposes the atrocities committed in the Congo Free State under the rule of Belgium’s King Leopold II, highlighting the exploitation and brutalization of the Congolese people.

- **Significance**: The book brought widespread attention to the dark history of colonialism in Africa and has been credited with reshaping the public’s understanding of European imperialism.

### 22. **"Europe: A History" by Norman Davies**

- **Published**: 1996

- **Overview**: Davies provides an extensive overview of European history from prehistoric times to the modern era, covering a vast range of events, cultures, and peoples.

- **Significance**: Known for its broad scope and detailed narrative, the book is a monumental work that has become a standard reference for students and historians alike.

### 23. **"The Fall of Berlin 1945" by Antony Beevor**

- **Published**: 2002

- **Overview**: Beevor examines the final months of World War II, focusing on the Battle of Berlin and the fall of Nazi Germany. He uses first-hand accounts to detail the siege and its devastating consequences.

- **Significance**: The book is praised for its thorough research and harrowing depiction of the final days of the Third Reich, providing a clear and compelling account of this significant historical event.

### 24. **"The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power" by Daniel Yergin**

- **Published**: 1991

- **Overview**: Yergin explores the history of the global oil industry, from its early beginnings to its critical role in shaping modern geopolitics. The book covers major events like the oil crises and the Gulf War.

- **Significance**: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, "The Prize" is considered the definitive history of the oil industry and its profound impact on global economics and politics.

### 25. **"From Beirut to Jerusalem" by Thomas L. Friedman**

- **Published**: 1989

- **Overview**: Friedman, a journalist, provides a personal account of his experiences covering the Middle East, focusing on the conflicts in Lebanon and Israel. The book offers insights into the complexities of the region’s politics and culture.

- **Significance**: Friedman’s work won the National Book Award and remains influential in discussions about the Middle East, offering readers a nuanced understanding of the region’s ongoing conflicts.

---

These books have collectively shaped modern historical discourse, offering fresh perspectives, challenging established narratives, and making history accessible to a broader audience. Whether through meticulous research, compelling storytelling, or insightful analysis, each of these works has left a lasting impact on how we understand the past and its influence on the present.

[reidwagner6]

Blog Post: "Barefoot Gen" – A Harrowing Tale of War and Resilience

"Barefoot Gen" is an emotionally gripping animation that tells the horrific story of Gen Nakaoka, a little boy, during and after Hiroshima's atomic blast. This anime is a moving depiction of war's terrible effects on innocent humanity, as well as the enduring spirit of survival and optimism.

Addressing Issues in Japan and Globally

"Barefoot Gen" addresses significant issues with deep historical origins in Japan, but it is also relevant globally. The animation highlights survivors' physical and psychological agony while graphically depicting the immediate and long-term effects of the atomic bomb. The devastation produced by Hiroshima and Nagasaki serves as a harsh reminder of the horrors of war and the necessity for peace in Japan. Around the world, "Barefoot Gen" is a powerful anti-war story that depicts the indiscriminate suffering and devastating consequences of nuclear war.

The anime also delves into themes of human resilience and kindness in the face of disaster. It depicts how people work together as a community to reconstruct their lives, highlighting the importance of compassion and solidarity in the face of adversity, striking a chord in many locations where people have witnessed and continue to endure the devastation brought by conflict and disaster.

Personal Reflection

Watching "Barefoot Gen" is a very touching event that encourages meditation on the fragility of life and the strength of the human spirit. The unvarnished depiction of Gen's challenges and his unshakable drive to survive and assist his family is both heartbreaking and inspirational. On a personal level, the anime reminds me to appreciate the peace and stability that I frequently take for granted, as well as the value of empathy and support for people victimized by conflict and violence.

The story also reflects my awareness of historical and contemporary problems. It emphasizes the significance of remembering and learning from previous crimes in order to prevent similar ones in the future. The emphasis on the civilian experience of conflict brings a highly human dimension to the typically abstract arguments regarding geopolitical conflicts and military strategies.

Connections to Assigned Readings

I haven't seen the lecture video yet, but I can already see some loose connections between "Barefoot Gen" and some of the materials we were forced to complete. The anime's emphasis on the human cost of war is compatible with readings about states' moral obligations and the ethical consequences of combat. Psychology research on the impacts of conflict on mental health, as well as community reconstruction programs, can be linked to the story's exploration of trauma and resilience.

Furthermore, "Barefoot Gen" enriches discussions about how historical events are depicted in literature and the media. The anime's realistic and unabashed portrayal of the Hiroshima bombing is a powerful example of how visual narrative can effectively communicate the physical and emotional realities of historical calamities, making them more accessible and significant to modern viewers.

Final Thoughts

"Barefoot Gen" is a poignant contemplation on wartime horrors and the human spirit's unwavering persistence. It's more than simply anime. Its exploration of the Hiroshima atomic attack and the subsequent battle for survival provides incisive perspectives on both historical and contemporary issues. This blog will serve as a record of my thoughts as I continue to consider these concerns, assisting me in the development of my final thesis.

[movie-downloader]

J. Robert Oppenheimer: Architect of the Atomic Age

J. Robert Oppenheimer, often referred to as the "father of the atomic bomb," was a brilliant physicist, visionary leader, and a complex figure whose life and contributions left an indelible mark on society. Born on April 22, 1904, in New York City, Oppenheimer's journey unfolded against the backdrop of the tumultuous 20th century, encompassing pivotal moments in science, politics, and global affairs. This article delves into the multifaceted life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, exploring his early years, academic achievements, government projects, societal impact, and the cinematic portrayal of his life in the movie "Oppenheimer."

Early Life and Education

Oppenheimer came from a wealthy and cultured family. His father, Julius Oppenheimer, was a prosperous textile importer, while his mother, Ella Friedman, was a painter. Raised in an intellectually stimulating environment, Oppenheimer displayed early signs of prodigious intelligence. He attended the Ethical Culture School in New York City, where he excelled in academics and developed an interest in literature and languages.

In 1921, at the age of 17, Oppenheimer entered Harvard University, where he pursued a degree in chemistry. His academic prowess and passion for learning were evident, leading to a swift graduation in just three years. After completing his undergraduate studies, Oppenheimer embarked on a journey to Europe, immersing himself in the intellectual vibrancy of renowned academic centers, such as the University of Cambridge and the University of Göttingen.

At Göttingen, Oppenheimer delved into theoretical physics, studying under luminaries like Max Born and Niels Bohr. These experiences profoundly influenced his scientific outlook and set the stage for his future contributions to the field.

Academic Achievements and Professional Career

Oppenheimer's return to the United States marked the beginning of an illustrious academic career. He earned his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Göttingen in 1927 and quickly gained recognition for his groundbreaking research. His work on quantum mechanics and electrodynamics earned him a faculty position at the University of California, Berkeley, where he became a charismatic and influential professor.

In the early 1930s, Oppenheimer made significant contributions to theoretical physics, particularly in the area of quantum electrodynamics. His research and lectures garnered attention, establishing him as a leading figure in the scientific community. However, as the political climate shifted with the rise of fascism in Europe, Oppenheimer, like many intellectuals of his time, became increasingly aware of the potential threats to global peace.

World War II and the Manhattan Project

The outbreak of World War II thrust the world into a maelstrom of conflict, prompting scientific minds to confront the ethical implications of their work. In 1942, Oppenheimer received a pivotal invitation that would alter the course of his life – he was appointed as the scientific director of the Manhattan Project, the clandestine U.S. research and development project tasked with developing the atomic bomb.

The Manhattan Project brought together some of the brightest scientific minds of the era, with Oppenheimer at the helm. His leadership style was a combination of intellectual rigor, vision, and an ability to foster collaboration. Under his guidance, the project progressed at an unprecedented pace, culminating in the successful testing of the first atomic bomb on July 16, 1945, in the New Mexico desert. The bomb's destructive power was a harbinger of a new era and raised profound moral questions about the use of such weaponry.

Impact on Society and Ethical Dilemmas

Oppenheimer's role in the creation of the atomic bomb bestowed upon him a unique place in history. The unprecedented destruction wreaked upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 ushered in the nuclear age, reshaping geopolitics and international relations. The ethical dilemmas faced by scientists involved in the Manhattan Project, including Oppenheimer, reverberated through the post-war era.

After witnessing the devastation wrought by the bombs, Oppenheimer, despite his pivotal role, expressed deep ambivalence about the use of nuclear weapons. His famous quote, drawn from the Bhagavad Gita, captures the conflicting emotions he experienced: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." This profound reflection encapsulates the weight of responsibility that Oppenheimer grappled with throughout his life.

In the post-war period, Oppenheimer became an advocate for international control of nuclear weapons and a proponent of arms control. His efforts to promote responsible stewardship of atomic energy reflected a commitment to prevent the further escalation of the Cold War arms race. However, his stance incurred the suspicion of government officials during the fervor of McCarthyism, leading to a tumultuous chapter in his life.

McCarthyism and Struggles

The post-war era witnessed the rise of McCarthyism, an era characterized by intense anti-communist sentiments and the stifling of dissent. Oppenheimer's earlier associations with left-leaning individuals and his advocacy for international cooperation in atomic energy made him a target of suspicion. In 1954, Oppenheimer faced a security hearing, accused of having communist sympathies and being a security risk.

The proceedings were highly publicized and underscored the political climate of paranoia and fear. Despite testimonies from prominent scientists attesting to Oppenheimer's loyalty, the Atomic Energy Commission stripped him of his security clearance. The decision marked a personal and professional nadir for Oppenheimer, as he faced ostracism from government service and endured a period of public disgrace.

Later Years and Legacy

In the aftermath of the security hearing, Oppenheimer retreated from the public eye. He returned to academia, accepting a position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, where he continued his research in theoretical physics. Despite the controversies that marked his later years, Oppenheimer's contributions to science were acknowledged, and he received several awards and honors, including the Enrico Fermi Award in 1963.

J. Robert Oppenheimer passed away on February 18, 1967, leaving behind a complex legacy. His life and career continue to be the subject of historical scrutiny and debate, with scholars and biographers examining the nuances of his character, choices, and impact on the course of history.

Oppenheimer in Cinema: Exploring the Movie "Oppenheimer"

The cinematic portrayal of historical figures often serves as a lens through which audiences engage with the complexities of their lives. In 1980, director Christopher Munger released the television movie "Oppenheimer," with actor Sam Waterston portraying the titular character. The film attempted to capture the essence of Oppenheimer's life, focusing on key events such as his leadership of the Manhattan Project and the subsequent security hearing.

While "Oppenheimer" provides a dramatized narrative of the physicist's life, it inevitably takes creative liberties to condense a complex and multifaceted story into a manageable cinematic format. The movie navigates the ethical dilemmas faced by Oppenheimer and the moral implications of his contributions to the atomic bomb. However, the cinematic rendition necessarily simplifies certain aspects and overlooks the intricacies of historical events.

Analyzing the Accuracy of "Oppenheimer"

As with any historical drama, accuracy becomes a point of contention. The movie "Oppenheimer" is no exception, and scholars and historians have scrutinized its portrayal of key events and characters. While the film captures the broad strokes of Oppenheimer's life, it inevitably compresses timelines, amalgamates characters, and embellishes certain aspects for dramatic effect.

One notable element is the film's depiction of Oppenheimer's emotional turmoil after witnessing the first successful test of the atomic bomb. While Oppenheimer did express deep moral and philosophical concerns about the bomb, the film amplifies his internal struggles for cinematic impact. Additionally, the portrayal of the security hearing, while conveying the tension and paranoia of the McCarthy era, simplifies the complex political and personal dynamics at play.

Despite these artistic liberties, "Oppenheimer" serves as a valuable entry point for audiences interested in exploring the life and legacy of this enigmatic figure. The film's narrative, anchored by Sam Waterston's compelling performance, captures the essence of Oppenheimer's brilliance, complexities, and the moral quandaries that defined his existence.

Conclusion

J. Robert Oppenheimer's life unfolds as a tapestry of brilliance, ethical dilemmas, and societal impact. From his early academic achievements to his pivotal role in the creation of the atomic bomb and the subsequent controversies that marked his later years, Oppenheimer's journey encapsulates the challenges faced by those at the intersection of science, politics, and morality.

The legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer is as complex as the man himself. His contributions to science and the development of nuclear weapons, while undeniably transformative, remain shrouded in ethical ambiguity. The moral quandaries he grappled with throughout his life, from the creation of the bomb to the challenges of the McCarthy era, reflect the profound responsibility borne by those who push the boundaries of scientific discovery.

The cinematic portrayal of Oppenheimer in the movie "Oppenheimer" adds another layer to the exploration of his life. While the film takes creative liberties for dramatic effect, it serves as a gateway for audiences to delve into the complexities of his character and the historical events that defined his era.

As we reflect on the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, we are confronted with questions that transcend the boundaries of science and history. How do we reconcile the brilliance of a mind that unlocked the secrets of the atom with the devastating consequences of that knowledge? How do we navigate the moral landscapes that shape the choices of individuals who, in their pursuit of knowledge, alter the course of history?

In grappling with these questions, we not only honor the memory of J. Robert Oppenheimer but also engage in a broader dialogue about the intersections of science, ethics, and the enduring impact of human choices on the world stage.

[denimbex1986]

'Famed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s connections to the Bay Area are many: A professor at UC Berkeley, the father of the atomic bomb lived in several Berkeley residences; his brother, Frank, opened the Exploratorium; and Oppenehimer and his girlfriend, Jean Tatlock, once got drinks at the Top of the Mark.

He also was a frequent guest at a sprawling 2½-acre beachfront property in Stinson Beach owned by his close friends Haakon and Barbara Chevalier — a property where guests can stay to this day.

Haakon Chevalier, who taught French literature at UC Berkeley, became a central figure in the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission’s 1954 hearing that resulted in Oppenheimer losing his security clearance.

After Oppenheimer began developing the atomic bomb for the Manhattan Project in 1943, Chevalier, who was friends with Oppenheimer from their involvement in leftist circles at Berkeley, told the scientist that he knew of a way to pass information to the Soviets, who were allies of the United States at the time. Chevalier did not know what exactly Oppenheimer was working on.

Oppenheimer rejected Chevalier’s offer, but did not report the incident for eight months, and did not, at first, identify Chevalier. The incident and Oppenheimer’s connection to Chevalier were central in the government committee deciding to revoke Oppenheimer’s security clearance, disgracing the once-hailed scientist.

But years before, the Chevaliers frequently hosted intellectuals and famous guests at their Stinson Beach estate, including Oppenheimer, artist Salvador Dalí, gangster Al Capone and author John Steinbeck.

The sprawling getaway, known as Willow Camp, has mazes of gardens, several houses and rooms for guests, a pond, a pool, indoor and outdoor fireplaces and even a speakeasy. Current owners Steve and Lovisa Rubin, who bought the property from the Chevalier family just over a decade ago, have slowly been renovating and restoring it, taking the time to sort through the many treasures the couple have found on it. When they bought it, Steve said, the Chevaliers left everything behind.

“We find things all the time,��� he said, opening a drawer underneath a bench that revealed original sheet music with annotations from its composer. “Some of them are valuable, some are not, but they’re all part of the history here.”

The shelves are filled with books, including many first editions, that once belonged to the Chevaliers and their guests, some with handwritten letters from people such as Steinbeck wedged in the pages. Another treasure simply left on the property is a Bechstein piano from around 1870, which now sits in the main room. Photos of the Chevalier family and their friends that Lovisa found and framed decorate nearly every room.

One artifact particularly interesting to guests hoping to have the Oppenheimer experience is a small wooden desk the physicist gifted to the Chevaliers and used on his visits to the estate, complete with old stains and coffee rings.

A fireplace inside the main lodge, where photos showed guests gathering and reading, is even re-created in the recent “Oppenheimer” movie in a scene set at the Chevaliers’ home. Movie scouts visited the property during their research, the Rubins said.

While the property needed extensive repairs when the Rubins bought it, they said they have been taking their time working through it, careful to preserve the relics they discovered and make sure any renovations still have a pre-World War II feeling — even if that means searching for months for a perfect, mint green toilet and sink set.

“It’s a piece of history, so you have to be careful,” Steve said. “We feel the spirit of this place, so we want to make sure everything we do, we keep it in line with what was here.”

The Rubins hope that by restoring the property and opening it to guests, they are bringing it back to some of its former glory as a gathering place for curious and creative minds.

Lovisa, who spent hours poring over the countless journals and letters she found in the house, said they reveal the complicated relationships among intellectuals and families at a difficult time in history — affairs, divorces, friendships lost and repaired — but through it all, Willow Camp was a constant.

“That seems to be a theme,” Lovisa said. “Even when things went awry, people still came back here. People gathered here at the end of the day.”'

[dragoneyes618]

Bet They Wish They Hadn’t Said That...

“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.”

- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949.

“I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won’t last out the year.”

- The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957.

“But what...is it good for?”

- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device in inherently of no value to us.”

- Western Union internal memo, 1876.

“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?”

- David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

“The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.”

- A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service (which became FedEx).

“I don’t know what use anyone could find for a machine that would make copies of documents. It certainly couldn’t be a feasible business by itself.”

- The head of IBM, refusing to back the idea, forcing the inventor to found Xerox.

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.”

-Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895

“If I had thought about it, I wouldn’t have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can’t do this.”

- Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3M Post-It notepads.

“So, we went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we’ll come work for you.’ And they said, “No.’ So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, ‘Hey, we don’t need you. You haven’t got through college yet.’“

- Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and HP interested in his and Steve Wozniak’s personal computer.

“Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools.”

- 1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard’s revolutionary rocket work.

“Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.”

- Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

“Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.”

- Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.”

- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

“Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.”

- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872.

“The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon.”

- Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinaire to Queen Victoria 1873.

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.”

- Bill Gates, 1981.

“Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances.”

- Dr. Lee DeForest, father of radio and grandfather of television.

“The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosives.”

- Admiral William Leahy, US Atomic Bomb Project.

“There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom.”

- Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1923.

“A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make.”

- Response to Debbi Fields’ idea of starting Mrs. Fields’ Cookies.

“The supercomputer is technologically impossible. It would take all of the water that flows over Niagara Falls to cool the heat generated by the number of vacuum tubes required.”

- Professor of Electrical Engineering, New York University.

“Who...would want to read a book about a bunch of crazy Swedes on a raft?”

- Editor, turning down The Kon Tiki Expedition.

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.”

- Decca Recording Co., rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy.”

- Drillers whom Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.”

- Ken Olson, president, chairman, and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977.

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”

- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

[346-346]

Things I think when I think about the anchor

I am here for what is called a social department training. There are some people who look decent. But I still heard the sound of a rat trap. I will probably never understand what the fun is in writing a news story and criticizing someone. And without any humor at all. Maybe that's the point, I think now. . I was in a good mood and asked her a lot of questions, but I still felt a whiff of something that was essentially different from me, and I was not sure what I was supposed to be excited about. I may have been looking for someone who is exciting to talk to, and I may have been far from perfect from their point of view, but I wonder if that is partly due to our compatibility. Everyone is under the company's rules and curses, and is always trying to find a way to get along in the company, and is always happy or sad at the company's evaluation, no matter where they go or what kind of organization they belong to. And so it is in the family unit. Originally, I wanted to be a company employee in order to acquire a semblance of common sense rather than my eccentric father, but I was still a child of a frog, and my roots were not the right one for being a company worker. There were people who would tell me that you would follow a career path that would surprise you and that you would be happy with, making a truly innocent face, but I couldn't quite figure out what would be left in the end. I also think that the idea of just leaving it behind in your life might be ridiculous to begin with. It is a big story. The peasants who worked in the manors had no idea of leaving anything behind, and I think it is very difficult to break the curse of modernity then. In Japanese, freedom is consists with two Chinese characters which means depending on your self, and Japanese word "我がまま" means selfish with also two Chinese characters that means being yourself. In other words, being a company employee means living for a few decades, advocating one's own wishes and realizing them in balance with the company's logic.

And in terms of significance or meaning, which are the keys to work I think, it is also very tricky. I felt the significance, or rather the richness of life, in the background music of Bob Marley that made the women working in the coffee shop dance, rather than in the subway built by JICA in Vietnam. The Special Investigation Department, the courts, the police, the ministries, politics, the IRS, and dangerous bus stops are no match for bokumode kimimode! I was thinking about how they are living each day with a dried-up sensitivity. I think I may be one of them soon!

And I had quite a few opportunities to talk with my father over the past few days, and when I heard that he used to draw only on the edges of a blank sheet of construction paper when he was a child, I thought, "I see".

He was not in agreement with his acquaintance who wanted to study the current reclamation of Tokyo Bay and its impact on the environment, but he was rather interested in the idea that bombing the small mountain in Chiba with an atomic bomb and creating tons of sands to fill up the ocean. Or the Aoba Street in Sendai is actually curved like a beak right in front of the station, and that is why some politicians wanted it to be straight. He spent all hours of the day researching the history of the city plan, which split the Diet in two, using his computer and reading newspaper articles from the past. He has been saying that he can't read fiction or literatures for some time now, but what he is looking for is a collection of real-life pictorial images, and since there is no attempt to read the human mind involved, my mother and sister complain about him. That's how it happened.

I have recently come to strongly believe that my father's fondness for newspapers may have influenced me, either unconsciously or consciously, to enter this business: newspaper. I feel I have not yet achieved true independence in a way.

Living on your own is difficult and impossible, but I believe that becoming mentally independent from the things that have protected you is one of the most important things you need to do in your 20's. It is a personal, but certainly critical, issue that will affect your self-esteem and self-confidence, and can change the way you perceive the rest of your life. Someone sang looking at the high sky, "I am both protected and bound".

Late at night in a hotel in Tokyo, I lie naked with no change of clothes, my shirt washed on the washbasin with shampoo by my side. 5%. My cell phone is nearly out of charge. The air purifier is rattling, trying to filter and clean the city air, but the air coming out smells a bit stale. Will tomorrow be a good day? I don't mind walking down the wide business street at a brisk pace, wearing my favorite leather shoes. I just don't like building streets, and I don't think I'm going to be very interested in the same kind of buildings. So it goes. Everyone decorates their nails, wears what they like, some learn about history, some work to get the big news. More or less.

I wonder if getting in and out of the company would be better, or if that hurdle were a little lower. It may still take me a little while to get to sleep today, as there were many times when I talked with them, but at the end of the day I was still confronted with the fact that we don't fully understand each other.

[science-criticaltheory]

Plutonium and Poetry: Where Trinity and Oppenheimer's Reading Habits Met - Patty Templeton, Digital Archivist, National Security Research Center

The Lab’s first director, J. Robert Oppenheimer, was a man of sonnets and scientific synthesis.

Oppenheimer’s work at Los Alamos was defined not only by physics and administrative skill, but also by a life philosophy inspired, in part, by literature. The Trinity test, which took place 76 years ago on July 16 in the New Mexico desert, epitomizes this.

Known as one of the greatest scientific achievements ever, the successful detonation of the world’s first nuclear weapon marked the dawn of the Atomic Age. Created in just 27, albeit harrowing, months, Oppenheimer and his team at the Los Alamos Lab worked nonstop on this clandestine effort to help end World War II.

As he had done throughout his life, Oppenheimer continued to foster his love of literature during the Manhattan Project. Two of his influences were John Donne and the Hindu scripture "Bhagavad-Gita." Oppenheimer recalled both during the Trinity test.

John Donne and Trinity

Seventeenth-century poet John Donne was one of Oppenheimer’s favorite writers and an inspiration during his work with the Manhattan Project.

In 1962, Manhattan Project leader Gen. Leslie Groves wrote to Oppenheimer to ask about the origins of the name Trinity. According to a copy of the letter that is a part of the collections of the Lab’s National Security Research Center, 

Oppenheimer said, “Why I chose the name is not clear, but I know what thoughts were in my mind. There is a poem of John Donne, written just before his death, which I know and love.” Oppenheimer then quoted the sonnet “Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness” about a man unafraid to die because he believed in resurrection.

Oppenheimer continued, “That still does not make a Trinity, but in another, better known devotional poem Donne opens, ‘Batter my heart, three person’d God.’ Beyond this, I have no clues whatever.”

“Batter my heart” expresses the paradox that by being chained to God, the narrator can be set free. A great force could enthrall the narrator to do greater good. Richard Rhodes, who wrote the book "The Making of the Atomic Bomb," proposed that “the bomb for [physicist Niels] Bohr and Oppenheimer was a weapon of death that might also end war and redeem mankind.”

===

Finding meaning

Poetry was ever-present in Oppenheimer’s letter writing and in his reactions to current events. We know that, according to the book "American Prometheus," by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, before the Trinity test, late at night in the base camp mess hall, Oppenheimer sipped coffee, rolled smokes and read French poet Charles Baudelaire.

T.S. Eliot, a poet Oppenheimer admired and hosted later as the director of the Institute for Advanced Study, famously wrote:

“Do I dare Disturb the universe?”

Oppenheimer surely did.

[gupaooooon]

・Nagasaki Peace

「An atomic bomb exploded over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, three days after the explosion of the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima. The bomb was assembled at Tinian Island on August 6. On August 8, Field Order No.17 issued from the 20th Air Force Headquarters on Guam called for its use the following day on either Kokura, the primary target, or Nagasaki, the secondary target. That same day, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. The B-29 bomber "Bockscar" reached the sky over Kokura on the morning of August 9 but abandoned the primary target because of smoke cover and changed course for Nagasaki, the secondary target, and detonated the atomic bomb at 11:02 a.m.」

・NO MORE HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI MUSEUM

「The nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki burned the victims to unrecognizable forms, and brought suffering from illness, poverty and discrimination unto the survivors. Nuclear weapons and humanity cannot coexist.

We want people around the world to know about the consequences of nuclear weapons, and the journey of the Hibakusha - the atomic bomb survivors. As Hibakusha of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we have held exhibitions at the United Nations four times to date, at the timing of the NPT Review Conferences. As the risk of the use of nuclear weapons is today at its highest, we have decided to open this exhibition as an online museum.」

・Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Multilingual Bibliography

「ABOUT US: The Aim of Our Project　In 2014, a year before the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we started our survey and research into the multilingual publication of atomic bomb literature. Our goal is to make a comprehensive survey into the process of worldwide acknowledgment of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for 70 years.」

・外国人戦争犠牲者追悼核廃絶人類不戦碑

「八月九日の原爆 によって七万余の日本人、数千の朝鮮人、中国人労働者、華僑、留学生、連合軍捕虜(イギ リス、アメリカ、オーストラリア、オランダ、インドネシア等)が犠牲となった。特に浦上刑務所のあった隣接する丘では、三十二名の中国人、十三名の朝鮮人が、日本人 受刑者とともに爆死し、また香焼や幸町の捕虜収容所では、被爆前に病気や事故などによ って数百名の連合軍兵士が死亡した。」

・「長崎の原爆ドーム」なぜ解体されたのか？ 浦上天主堂が幻の世界遺産になった理由【長崎原爆の日】（22/08/09）

「8月9日は「長崎原爆の日」。長崎市内への原爆投下で、1945年だけで7万人以上が亡くなった。長崎では平和祈念像が犠牲者に黙禱を捧げるモニュメントとして知られているが、実は広島の世界遺産「原爆ドーム」に匹敵する原爆遺構が、かつて長崎市内に存在していた。爆心地からわずか500メートルの位置にあったカトリック教会の大聖堂「浦上天主堂（うらかみてんしゅどう）」だ。」

・«さもしいといって下さいますな»　福田須磨子さんの思い　原爆を背負って(30)（20/08/06）

「　《何も彼（か）も　いやになりました　原子野に屹立（きつりつ）する巨大な平和像　それはいい　それはいいけど　そのお金で何とかならなかったかしら　“石の像は食えぬし腹の足しにならぬ”　さもしいといって下さいますな　原爆後十年をぎりぎりに生きる　被災者の偽らぬ心境です》1955年8月、被爆詩人・福田須磨子さん＝74年に52歳で死去＝が詠んだ詩「ひとりごと」です。」

・祈りと異質な巨大芸術　平和祈念像　法王は今回も立ち寄らず（19/10/27）

https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/n/554327/

「長崎新聞の元論説委員長、高橋信雄さん（68）によると、浦上教会の主任司祭だった故川添猛神父は生前、高橋さんの取材に対して「私自身は平和祈念像の前には決して行かない」「巨大な芸術品の前で祈りをささげることなどできない。いくら像の名前に平和を冠していても、被爆者として、あの像とは相いれない」と語っていたという。」

「北村は戦前戦中にわたり、戦意高揚のための軍人像などを数多く手がけた。反核、反戦の美術評論家、故針生一郎氏は、北村について「戦後一転して平和や自由をうたいあげる公共彫刻に意欲を燃やしたが、戦前戦中の自作についての深い反省もなく百余歳まで生きたので、各地に醜悪無残な彫刻公害を残している」と酷評。その代表格が、北村の戦前戦中の作風そのままの男性裸像、平和祈念像ということなのだろう。」

「祈念像の周りをぐるりと歩くと、像の裏には北村の言葉が刻まれ、こんなくだりもあった。「山の如き聖哲　それは逞（たくま）しい男性の健康美」。祈りとはかけ離れた異質なもの。」

･｢存在しない｣とされた残留放射線、内部被ばくの被害を認めない政府（22/09/05）

「長崎の「被爆地域」は、原爆投下時の行政区域をもとにしている。爆心地から12キロ圏内で原爆に遭っても、国の指定する「被爆地域」外にいた人々は「被爆体験者」として、被爆者と線引きされてきた。」

「原爆投下から１ヵ月後、マンハッタン計画の副責任者であるトーマス・ファーレル氏は、下記のような声明を発表したとされる。 「広島・長崎では、死ぬべきものは死んでしまい、９月上旬において、原爆放射能の余燼ために苦しんでいる者は皆無だ」 残留放射能が存在しないとした理由について記者からの質問を受け、ファーレル氏は「相当の高度で爆発させた」ことを挙げていた。」

「広島の「黒い雨」訴訟で、国側は国際放射線防護委員会（ICRP）国内メンバーが記した論文を引用した上で、「内部被ばくをより危険とする根拠はない」などとしていた。国が政策で依拠するICRPとはどのような成り立ちなのだろうか？この組織は1950年、米国放射線防護委員会（NCRP）議長らが中心となって組織された。NCRPは1946年に発足しており、あの「人体実験」にも携わったマンハッタン計画の医学部長らが執行委員となっていた。中心メンバーも、マンハッタン計画に従事した科学者たちだった。」

「「日本政府は核兵器の残酷さや非人道性を訴えるどころか、その“威力”を重視し、原爆攻撃をした米国と一緒になって、核兵器の有効性を世界に向けて訴えてきたといえます。核の“パワー”の肯定的イメージを拡散してきた、世界に対する責任は重いと思います」」

・核廃絶専門委、長崎の被爆者落選　禁止条約に否定的な政府支援なく（23/07/23）

「【ニューヨーク共同】核兵器禁止条約の諮問機関「科学諮問グループ」の専門家委員に推薦された長崎の被爆者が落選していたことが２３日、国連関係者への取材で分かった。核廃棄や被害者支援など「核なき世界」実現の方策を締約国に助言する「要」の機関。核実験の影響に苦しむカザフスタンが推したが、条約に否定的で非加盟の日本政府の支援は得られず、外交筋は落選への影響を指摘した。」

・NHK長崎放送局 WEB特集 原爆

[welcometotheanthropocene]

Why "anthropocene"? Actually, what is it?

In 2000 Paul J. Crutzen and Eugene F. Stoermer proposed the term “anthropocene” as an appropriate name for the new geological epoch, stating that “the impacts of current human activities ... will remain a major geological force for many millennia”.

The tone of their article is quite optimistic – it implies that humanity will deal with this challenge. They end their article with the following message: “To develop a world-wide accepted strategy leading to sustainability of ecosystems against human induced stresses will be one of the great future tasks of mankind, requiring intensive research efforts and wise application of the knowledge thus acquired in ... information society. An exciting, but also difficult and daunting task lies ahead of the global research and engineering community to guide mankind towards global, sustainable, environmental management.”

At the moment, there is no well-established consensus among scientists on what historical point deserves to be considered as the beginning of the Anthropocene era. The beginning of European colonization, the industrialization of Western economies, and the invention of the atomic bomb are the most likely candidates. This discussion is worthless, to be honest – anyway, we can agree that it began with the advent of Modernity. What is much more important is the discussion about the measures we can take to make our co-existence with nature more harmonious and sustainable than it is.

Like Crutzen and Stoermer, many scientists still share techno-optimistic ideas in relation to environmental disasters and the future of humanity. However, the situation is just getting worse and worse. Even scientific authority does not convince people who are impactful in mass production and state policy to promote urgent and radical systemic changes. The reason is discouragingly banal: the global restructuring of the economy and politics is not beneficial for the elites. Nobody wants to lose either power or wealth.

I am not eagerly against the idea of progress as such. But I insist that technical progress is not saving and, moreover, it is ultimately destructive when separated from progress in social justice. The ecological issue is, first of all, a political issue.

Literature:

Paul J. Crutzen, and Eugene F. Stoermer, The Anthropocene in "Global change newsletter." (2000), 17-18.

[youzicha]

How many people died as a result of the Chernobyl disaster?

Nobody knows! I would guess at least 10,000, and maybe several times that. (Though these are lifetime cancer deaths, so some of them have not happened yet.)

There is a Wikipedia page with different estimates, and they vary a lot. As I understand it there are two main sources of uncertainty. First, around 600,000 conscripted soldiers worked as “liquidators” after the accident (240,000 in the first two years), and it is not known well how much radiation exposure they received. At the time, the guidelines were to limit each person’s exposure to less than 50 rem (500 mSv), which is already high and could cause several percent of the workers to die in cancer. But immediately after the accident workers were sent in quite recklessly and certainly there were many cases of workers getting much higher doses. Doses were not monitored well, a single worker in a company would be given a dosimeter, but the rest of the company were all doing different tasks, in proximity to different hotspots. Then afterwards, doctors were instructed to not mention radiation exposure on death certificates, so the official statistics are not reliable. In more recent year there have been some epidemiological studies, but it’s still not completely clear.

The unreliability is a general problem. In the years following the accident, people in Ukraine completely distrusted the official information from the Soviet government (with good cause), and people suspected that any cancer, birth defect, etc was due to the accident. This apocalyptic mood caused a lot of stress with real negative impacts (e.g., a large number of probably unnecessary abortions). But I think according to later research the cancer rate was not actually significantly higher, so apart from the liquidators it’s hard to point to specific people who died because of the accident.

I think the most official and trustworthy source is a report from 2005 by the WHO and Russian/Ukranian/Belarusian governments. (Admittedly, the tone of the report sounds like they are trying to downplay the impact, probably in response to the alarmism described above). But this report runs into the second source of uncertainty, the cancer risk from very low radiation doses. The simplest model (“linear, no threshold”) just says that the risk of getting cancer is proportional to the radiation dose. But nuclear apologists like to say that animals have been living with small amounts of background radiation forever, so we must have developed some way to repair damage from very small doses.

It would be nice if the apologists were right, because both nuclear accidents and bomb tests give small radiation doses to very many people. However, at least the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, in their “consensus report” Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation (2006) adopt the linear-no-threshold model, because it is consistent with all experimental data and is biologically plausible. The best statistical data comes from studies of atomic bomb survivors in Japan, but in low ranges it’s inconclusive:

Atomic bomb survivor data for solid tumors combined provide statistical evidence of a radiation-associated excess at doses down to around 100 mSv; these combined data are well described by a linear no-threshold dose-response […] It is abundantly clear that direct epidemiologic and animal approaches to low-dose cancer risk are intrinsically limited in their capacity to define possible curvilinearity or dose thresholds for risk in the range 0–100 mSv. For this reason the present report has placed much emphasis on the mechanistic data that can underpin such judgments. […] Mechanistic uncertainties remain, but the weight of available evidence would argue against the presence of a low dose threshold for tumor induction based on error-free repair of initial DNA damage. In summary, the committee judges that the balance of scientific evidence at low doses tends to weigh in favor of a simple proportionate relationship between radiation dose and cancer risk.

Now if we turn to the WHO report, the interesting table (on page 115 of the pdf) predicts 8,930 extra deaths from cancer over the lifetime of the exposed people: 2,200 among liquidators (200,000 people, average dose 100 mSv), 1,600 among special control zone residents (270,000 people, average dose 50 mSv), and 4,600 excess deaths among other residents (6.8 million people, average dose 7mSv). Most deaths come from the many people with very low exposure (7 mSv), so we will never see any statistically significant increase in the cancer rate, and people who don’t believe in linearity can always say that it’s an overestimate. As for timing, the report says that the minimum latency is 10 years and average latency 20-25 years, so by now more than half of the eventual cancers will have already happened.

The Greens (the EU parliamentary group) thought the WHO report underplayed the impact, and comissioned a very readable rebuttal report. The rebuttal makes two points. First, the radiation risk factor used by the WHO report is in the lower end of the literature, and other studies estimate up to twice as many deaths per mSv, so by picking a value in the upper range the number could double to about 20,000 deaths. Second, Chernobyl scattered radiation all over Europe. If we use the WHO’s estimate of amount of radioactivity released, but don’t just consider the 6.7 million most exposed people and instead consider all the very small doses all over the world, we get 30,000 deaths (using the WHO risk factor) or 60,000 deaths (with the high risk factor). Of course, this assumes linearity for extremely small doses.

Isn’t this a pretty curious situation? If you think of a Chernobyl victim, what comes to mind is probably someone who lived in Pripyat and maybe stood on the “bridge of death” to watch the fire. But if we believe the Greens, those people are basically a rounding error, and almost all of the impact of the accident comes from seemingly completely healthy people in e.g. Germany who got an immeasurably tiny increase in their lifetime cancer risk. It reminds me of when Scott Alexander considered costs and benefits of marijuana legalization and decided that the only thing that matters is the impact on drunk driving.

Here’s two concluding thoughts. First, don’t get complacent. The radioactive cloud happened to drift north-east, which is the direction with the lowest population density. The wind could equally well have been blowing south towards Kiev, and then the impact would have been much worse. And of course, if a power station in France explodes there would be even more people nearby.

But second, even if we assume a high estimate, 60,000 cancer deaths over ~60 years is only 1,000 deaths/year. I don’t have any Soviet numbers at hand, but for example in 2000 coal power plants in the U.S. were causing 30,000 deaths/year during normal operations, and Soviet industry was much dirtier than in the West. I think it’s a safe guess that the Soviet Union had bigger pollution problems than Chernobyl.

[buzzesquenews]

The Top 10 Greatest Russian Mysteries of All Time

Russia is a vast country, by far the largest country on earth in terms of land mass. The Soviet Union was much larger even. It's not surprise that some of the most famous unsolved mysteries in the world come out of that part of the planet. Join us as we glance at 10 of the most famous unsolved mysteries from there.

10 - Arkaim

Photo of Arkaim by Rafikova m - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 Arkaim is an ancient citadel built nearly 4,000 years ago that is full of mystery. The entire city was built around the spiritual idea of "reproducing the model of the universe" which was derived from ancient Indian literature. It was built in three concentric rings and featured the ancient swastika religious symbol found throughout the region at the time. It held as many as 2,500 people at the time, making it the largest citadel in the region. The city has also been associated with ancient Aryan culture (not the Hitler variety) and may have been the source of Vedic knowledge in India as well as the Asgard mentioned in ancient Germanic literature.

9 - Russian Ghost Cities

Photo By Laika ac from USA - Kadykchan, CC BY-SA 2.0 The USSR or Soviet Union built dozens of cities with controlled access, now known as Ghost Cities. These cities were completely cut off from the outside world except for gated roads coming in and out of the towns. Most were built around nuclear power or research centers. These towns are nearly all abandoned now, a testament to the iconic Brutalist architecture of the period.

8 - Lake Vostok

Lake Vostok is by far the most remote location heavily researched by Russian scientists. Lake Vostok is not in Russia. It is a lake under about 2.5 miles of ice. Bizarrely enough, Russian researchers have been fascinated with drilling through the ice to see what was underneath. Beginning in the 1950s until 2011, from the height of the Cold War to Putin's Russia, they drilled through the ice to see what ancient forms of life may lie underneath. The unrelenting focus on getting through the ice of a lake in Antarctica has left many of us scratching our heads.

7 - The Petrozavodsk Phenomenon

The Petrozavodsk object stands out in UFO research as one of the most puzzling and well documented cases of all time. On September 20th, 1977, one of the most widely viewed celestial events of all time unfolded over the city of Petrozavodsk, Russia (The USSR at the time). The event was witnessed from Copenhagen, Denmark all the way to Helsinki in Finland. According to eyewitnesses, 48 unidentified luminescent objects appeared in the atmosphere starting around 1:00 AM. The objects were observed for over two hours in various cities around the region. They appeared to shift direction abruptly, sometimes being stationary and sometimes traveling at enormous speeds. They were witnessed by military officials as well and there were official investigations into the issue. Nearly all of the eye witnesses also reported that the object emitted other glowing objects and that the objects were entirely silent.

6 - Psychotronics: The Russian MKULTRA

The Russian MKULTRA was as large its American counterpart. From 1917 to 2003, the Soviet Union and the modern Russian government spent nearly $1 Billion on "psychotronics", similar to the MKULTRA program in the United States. One area of the program focused on a Soviet idea that the brain emits high-frequency electromagnetic waves which can be received by other brains. Research seemed to show that it could change the magnetic polarity of hydrogen nuclei and stimulate immune systems in various organisms. They even made a device which could store and generate the energy, known as a "cerpan".

5 - The Voronezh UFO

On September 27th, 1989, a UFO appeared to a group of children in the city of Voronezh in the Soviet Union. The children report taht the craft landed in front of them, a three eyed alien popped out with a robot. The alien mind controlled another witness by freezing them in their tracks. The craft then left and returned five minutes later to abduct a 16 year old boy. There were as many as 12 eyewitnesses to all of that. Interestingly, the craft was also reported by the local police department as well.

4 - UVB-76: The Buzzer

Somewhere in Russia, there is a radio tower which has been broadcasting an inexplicable series of sounds since at least 1973. To really grasp the strangeness of it, listen to the example audio above. The sound has evolved over time. It was mostly a chirping sound until 1990, where it changed to a buzzer sound. Nobody knows what on earth it means. One interesting detail is that, on occasion, conversations have been heard in the background which seems to indicate that the sound is going through an open mic.

3 - Nano Spirals and Coils of the Ural Mountains

An example of a nanocoil found in the Ural Mountains. In the mysterious Ural Mountains, where our number one mystery also took place, researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences discovered thousands of tiny nano-components which appear to be designed and very precisely manufactured. Dating to about 300,000 years ago, there is no known natural explanation for how they got there or what they were even designed to do. The objects, also known as Out of Place Artifacts or Ooparts, continue to amaze scientists. There are coils, shafts, spirals and other mechanical parts which are so small, they can only be appreciated with a microscope.

2 - The Tunguska Event

The Tunguska Event was a massive explosion in remote Siberia which still baffles scientists. On June 30th of 1908, there was a massive explosion in Siberia which knocked down 80 million trees, covering an area of 830 square miles. The explosion had the power of as many as 30 megatons of energy, more than 1,000 times the energy of the atomic bomb which was dropped on Heroshima. This is, of course, well before any atomic weapons had been invented by humans. Speculation has ranged from UFOs to a meteorite exploding before it impacted the ground since there is no crater.

1 - The Dyatlov Pass Incident

The Dyatlov Pass Incident is the most mysterious Russian event of modern times. The Dyatlov Pass Incident is without a doubt one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th Century. 10 skiers from the Ural Polytechnic Institute set out to travel to a nearby ski town. The trip was not thought to be dangerous. One turned back due to illness and the other nine were all killed by an "unknown compelling force". Camping on the side of Dead Mountain, something forced the hikers to run out of the tent in a hurry. Their tent was cut open from the inside. Two of the hikers were found near a fire pit in only their underwear. One hiker had high levels of radiation on his clothing. Three hikers suffered massive crushing injuries but had no signs of physical violence. Read our full article on The Dyatlov Pass Incident here. Read the full article

[justforbooks]

Herman Wouk, Pulitzer Prize-winning master of sweeping historical fiction, dies at 103

Herman Wouk, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the Navy drama “The Caine Mutiny,” whose sweeping novels about World War II, the Holocaust and the creation of Israel made him one of the most popular writers of his generation and helped revitalize the genre of historical fiction, died May 17 at his home in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 103.

His literary agent, Amy Rennert, confirmed the death but did not provide a cause.

Mr. Wouk (his last name is pronounced “Woke”) penned a dozen novels, a handful of plays and several nonfiction books over the course of his nearly 60-year career. A meticulous researcher, he specialized in stories of personal conflict set against the backdrop of compelling historical events, including “The Caine Mutiny” (1951), “The Winds of War” (1971) and “War and Remembrance” (1978). The latter two became ABC miniseries in the 1980s starring Robert Mitchum that averaged tens of millions of viewers over the course of their broadcast and were the highest-rated miniseries after Alex Haley’s “Roots.”

In a form that the author would echo in other novels, “The Winds of War” and its sequel, “War and Remembrance,” trace World War II through the experiences of one family. “The Winds of War” follows Navy officer Victor “Pug” Henry and his relatives from the German invasion of Poland to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where its sequel begins and then proceeds to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

The pair of books established Mr. Wouk’s legacy as a master of historical fiction, in which he blended the narrative power of fiction with great understanding and empathy for the human motivations behind wars and other historical events. The Economist magazine said “The Winds of War” was “as serious a contribution to the literature of our time as ‘War and Peace’ was to that of the nineteenth century.”

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said Mr. Wouk helped enliven history in ways that many academic tomes never could and prompted readers to examine the past through engaging fictional characters. “I think he’s been a seminal figure because he’s recrafted the historical novel for a modern audience and not for some niche market,” Billington, who died last year, told The Washington Post in an interview for this obituary.

Mr. Wouk, who said he was never a “high stylist,” attracted a mass audience with books that espoused such values as gallantry and leadership under pressure. Leading critics sniffed at his books, which they often said broke no ground in writing style or character development.

The literary essayist Leslie Fiedler once explained Mr. Wouk’s critical reputation by comparing him with Nobel laureate Saul Bellow. “Bellow, like most writers critics take seriously, attacked the basic values of middle-class Americans: easy piety, marriage, life in the suburbs,” Fiedler said. “Wouk challenges nothing.”

Mr. Wouk said he found nonconformity for its own sake an all-too predictable theme in modern literature and had no interest in experimental or temporarily trendy prose styles. “I write a traditional novel, which is rather unfashionable, and I’ve taken a lot of kicking for it,” he once told The Post. “But the strength of my work comes from this intense grounding in the 18th- and 19th-century novelists.”

His very significance, wrote Time magazine in a 1955 cover story, was that “he spearheads a mutiny against the literary stereotypes of rebellion — against three decades of U.S. fiction dominated by skeptical criticism, sexual emancipation, social protest and psychoanalytic sermonizing.”

Mr. Wouk began his professional career as a gag writer in the 1930s before moving to the staff of the popular radio comedian Fred Allen. He got that job in part for his notoriety at Columbia University, where his Class of 1934 yearbook named him the wittiest student. He later joked, “It was not a very sparkling class.”

Enlisting in the Navy during World War II proved a transformative experience in his development as a writer.

“My life was broken at the time, as it was for all of our generation, by the coming of the war, and the winds of war swept a Bronx boy halfway around the world, below the equator, and he landed on an old destroyer minesweeper called the USS Zane,” Mr. Wouk told a National Press Club audience. “And that, I think, is where my adult education really began, because there, the hard shell of a New York wise guy cracked and fell off. The shallow conceit of a successful gag man faded away. . . . When I came back, there no longer was a question of a gag writing. I wanted to write novels.”

“The Caine Mutiny: A Novel of World War II” in 1951 brought Mr. Wouk his first critical and popular success, including the Pulitzer. The book centers on a power struggle aboard the destroyer-minesweeper Caine, culminating in a young lieutenant seizing control of the vessel from the paranoid Capt. Queeg after the crew thinks it faces imminent danger.

The action culminates in a court-martial for the lieutenant. Although the novel raised questions of authority and duty versus personal freedom, the naval community embraced it. Queeg also became one of the most memorable characters of the day, a man who relieved his stress by obsessively rolling steel bearings in the palm of his hand.

Time magazine called “The Caine Mutiny,” which sold more than 5 million copies worldwide and was translated into 17 languages, the “biggest U.S. bestseller since ‘Gone With the Wind.’ ” A 1954 film adaptation of the novel, starring Humphrey Bogart as Queeg, became a popular hit, earning Bogart an Academy Award nomination.

The stage version of the courtroom scenes from “The Caine Mutiny,” called “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” proved a Broadway success in the 1950s with Henry Fonda and Lloyd Nolan and remained a staple of community theaters, with productions as far away as China.

Mr. Wouk became further embedded in the cultural firmament with film adaptations of his other books, including “Marjorie Morningstar,” with Gene Kelly and Natalie Wood.

“Marjorie Morningstar,” published in 1955, underscored another major aspect of Mr. Wouk’s life: books whose themes were central to his Orthodox Jewish faith. “Marjorie Morningstar,” about a young Jewish woman who dreams of being an actress and eventually settles into a life as a suburban housewife, explores how Jews struggled to reconcile their faith with American society. It earned the public’s affection, if not the critics’, and it was credited with helping broaden interest in Jewish American novels later that decade by Philip Roth and others.

Herman Wouk was born May 27, 1915, in the Bronx, which he once called “that romantic, and much overcriticized borough” of New York. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia, and his father worked his way into the presidency of a laundry-chain business.

As a child, he told Time, he was the neighborhood fat boy forever being “clobbered” by street toughs. He found comfort in books that his mother bought from a traveling salesman when he was 12. In particular, he grew to love the writing of Mark Twain for his ability to make people laugh, even at matters of faith.

The arrival from Russia of his maternal grandfather, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, would have a decisive influence on Mr. Wouk’s beliefs and many of his later works of fiction and nonfiction.

Mr. Wouk decided at a young age that he wanted to be a writer. He wrote for the college humor magazine and several student musical comedy revues, one of which prompted a student critic to quip, “All Wouk and no play.”

He graduated in 1934 with majors in philosophy and comparative literature and took a $15-a-week job working for a man he called the “czar of gag writers,” who modernized and cleaned up old jokes and sold them to entertainers such as Eddie Cantor. Within a few years, he joined Fred Allen’s comedy-writing team.

Mr. Wouk returned to comedy later in his career, collaborating with singer Jimmy Buffett on a musical based on Mr. Wouk’s 1965 novel “Don’t Stop the Carnival,” about a harried New York publicist who flees to the fictitious Caribbean island of Amerigo to run a resort hotel. The show became a crowd favorite when it opened in 1997 in Miami’s Coconut Grove Playhouse.

As war broke out in Europe, Mr. Wouk in 1941 worked on radio shows promoting purchases of war bonds before enlisting in the Navy. The experience, eventually as executive officer of the destroyer-minesweeper Southard, helped inspire “The Caine Mutiny.”

Mr. Wouk’s first novel, “Aurora Dawn,” was published in 1947. It started as a play he was writing while at sea during the war but evolved into a full-blown story about the life and romances of a radio advertising worker. Though the reviews were mixed, it was selected by the Book of the Month Club.

His next novel, “City Boy” (1948), was about a Jewish youth from the Bronx whom Mr. Wouk based in part on himself. Then, in 1949 came the screenplay for the film “Slattery’s Hurricane,” starring Richard Widmark as a man seeking to redeem himself by flying a reconnaissance mission in a hurricane. The book of the same title was published in 1956.

“The Caine Mutiny” proved the sensation that fully established Mr. Wouk's career. His later novels included “Youngblood Hawke” (1962), about an American writer who becomes a victim of his own success, and “The Hope” (1993) and “The Glory” (1994), which documented the struggle for Israeli statehood from the perspective of several fictional families. In 2012, Mr. Wouk published his last novel, “The Lawgiver,” which revolves around the making of a screenplay about Moses and includes Mr. Wouk himself as a character. In 2016, he published a memoir, “Sailor and Fiddler: Reflections of a 100-Year-Old Author,” and up until a month ago, he was working on another book.

The Library of Congress held events in honor of Mr. Wouk on multiple occasions, including naming him, in 2008, the recipient of its first lifetime achievement award for fiction writing. But he acknowledged that he wasn’t much for being in the public spotlight or at large soirees, instead preferring to throw small dinners with his wife of more than 60 years, the former Betty Brown, who went by her Hebrew name, Sarah. Mrs. Wouk died in 2011, at 90.

Their son Abraham drowned as a child in 1951. Survivors include two children, Iolanthe Woulff and Joseph Wouk; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Mr. Wouk once joked in a speech that historical fiction is “at best a bastard form and highly suspect.” While his dedication to the genre earned him the respect of such scholars as historian David McCullough and Churchill biographer Martin Gilbert, Mr. Wouk said he recognized that his most important job was as a storyteller.

“A historical novel, to have any chance of lasting, must meet the highest standards of academic history,” he told an audience in Melbourne, Australia, “and then the novelist has to discard 90 percent of the history in order to tell the story.”

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[denimbex1986]

'The major relevance of the film “Oppenheimer” (spoiler alert) goes well beyond debates about the atomic bomb and the instrumentality of constellations of power. It’s inherent in the movie’s most seminal question and when it comes to J. Robert Oppenheimer the man. That’s the question of how to create something the likes of which had never existed.

In Oppenheimer’s case, it was the atomic bomb, which for the first time gave humanity the means to destroy itself. (This column won’t be dealing with the catastrophe of its success, which isn’t really connected to Oppenheimer the man, but rather human nature more generally.) Oppenheimer’s supreme power was his imagination – his capacity to see and understand what others still hadn’t understood. It’s not necessarily because he was the greatest physicist or mathematician, but instead thanks to his devotion to the abstract and his naivete. He wasn’t naïve in the innocent sense but in the sense of someone who was almost always moving forward along his own path based on his fundamental faith in the world, in its development and in humankind. Even at the end, when there were efforts to destroy him that almost succeeded, he stuck to this same naivete.

He didn’t fight the wheeler-dealers and politicians, as his wife urged him to do. He stuck to who he was, to what he saw and felt and understood, as well as his faith in human beings. He therefore didn’t suspect those who spied against him, and tried to ignore the person who sought to undermine him. In the film, when Albert Einstein suggests that he leave the United States, he answers simply that he really loves the country.

Note Oppenheimer’s naivete. Any revolutionary, creative step that doesn’t also include naivete is doomed to failure. Only someone who is naïve can really lead a revolution. This was also the personal quality that sent Oppenheimer overseas to study quantum physics when the field was still disdained in America. That’s also what led him to support the Spanish Civil War and workers’ rights, without joining the Communist Party.

That’s another personal trait characteristic of his path – the capacity to be on the inside and outside at the same time. He was able to be part of the system and worked within it and had high regard for it, but at the same time looked at it with a critical, skeptical eye.

He never turned the system into a Golden Calf, even when it made him king. So even in those moments of greatest glory, when most of the people were devoted to it and served it, he chose to fight against the bomb that he had invented. This was a clear case of self-cannibalism – and which saved him in the end.

Throughout the film, Oppenheimer was constantly moving forward with his endless research about the universe in its deepest sense. He focused on the material – on physics – but also on the spiritual, on great ideas (Marx) and on poetry and literature. His understanding of the need to actually build a city from scratch, Los Alamos, in order to build something that had never been built before, was derived from that perspective, which combined the material and the spiritual. He had an understanding that creating something from nothing required not just a nuclear reactor but a bubbling, living human crucible comprised of every segment of human existence, and a belief in them is a key insight.

Oppenheimer’s Los Alamos is like Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai’s Yavneh and its sages after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. It’s that same deep wisdom through which people create a future – a foundation forged by wise people and the space of the kind that is essential to cultivate what had been inconceivable. In our own times of greatness, when humanity’s – and Israeli society’s – most fundamental challenge is to recreate itself (socially, economically and existentially), Oppenheimer, with his self-cannibalism, naivete, pretention and faith in human beings and the spirit, is an important lesson for us all.'