“Oppenheimer” and Nuclear Risks Today
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Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is the most high-profile film about nuclear weapons ever made. It’s the tale of the beginning of the atomic age and the man who led the Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer, out in theaters July 21, comes at an incredibly risky time, and the issues it raises are critically important.
Oppenheimer is not just history, and it’s not just a movie.
Today, there are 13,000 nuclear weapons spread across nine countries. Modern nuclear weapons are much more powerful (up to 80 times more powerful) than the bomb Oppenheimer created and those that were used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Nuclear threats also are getting worse. We’re on the precipice of a new nuclear arms race. China’s arsenal is growing. Russia avoided a near-civil war, and at any moment, the war in Ukraine could go nuclear. We’ve had tons of close calls in the past, and with the combination of last century’s weapons and this century’s threats (AI, cyber, terrorism), our luck could run out.
13,100 nuclear weapons in the world
9 countries with nuclear weapons
? more time until our luck runs out
The threat is real: Our nuclear weapons are much more powerful than Oppenheimer's atomic bomb
NTI's Joan Rohlfing and James McKeon break down current nuclear risks in USA Today ahead of the film's July 21 global release.
For Discussion
The NTI Essentials: 10 things you should read (or watch) on reducing nuclear risks
Resource Collection
Nuclear Disarmament Resource Collection
“At the Brink” Podcast Launches Second Season with Fallout from Oppenheimer’s Trinity Test
Get Smarter on Nukes
Tutorials on nuclear testing, nuclear weapons, and nuclear nonproliferation, with quizzes to test your knowledge!
Nuclear 101 Tutorial
Learn the basics about nuclear energy and nuclear weapons.
Nuclear Testing Tutorial
Learn about the history of nuclear testing.
Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime Tutorial
Learn about efforts to control the spread of nuclear weapons and eliminate them altogether.
History of the Nuclear World: A Series
The history behind America's quest to build the Bomb, written by nuclear expert Joe Cirincione.
Take Action: Join #CranesForOurFuture
Join people across the globe August 4-9 to demand a more peaceful, hopeful future by folding and sharing a paper crane or graphic on social media with the hashtag #CranesForOurFuture. Together, we can create a world without nuclear weapons.
Experts Available to Discuss "Oppenheimer"
NTI experts can help put the film in context for reporters and reviewers.
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Anyone participating in “Barbenheimer” should see #Oppenheimer first. Trust us on this one.
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— NTI (@NTI_WMD) June 29, 2023
Get Prepared to Watch
Read
- “‘Oppenheimer’ Shows Science at the Mercy of Politics” by Kai Bird in The New York Times
- “Extended interview with Christopher Nolan, director of Oppenheimer” from The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
- “How Christopher Nolan Learned to Stop Worrying and Love AI” in Wired
- “J. Robert Oppenheimer: 5 Facts About the ‘Father of the Atomic Bomb’” from The History Channel
- American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Watch
- “The ‘Oppenheimer’ Cast on Filming the Trinity Test, Immersing Themselves in their Characters, & More” from Fandango
- Sky News Interview with Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy
- Kai Bird on Robert Oppenheimer & Tactical Nuclear Weapons
- Pulitzer Prize Winning Authors Kai Bird and Dr. Martin Sherwin discuss J. Robert Oppenheimer
- PBS – New assessments of Oppenheimer’s role in history
Our Work to Reduce Nuclear Risks
Past Project Global Enterprise to Strengthen Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Working toward a shared vision of a nuclear weapons-free world
International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification
Engaging a diverse group of states to develop innovative monitoring and verification solutions
Past Project Addressing Cyber-Nuclear Security Threats
What if a hacker shut down the security system at a highly sensitive nuclear materials storage facility, giving access to terrorists seeking highly enriched uranium to make a bomb?
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