Remember the Human Cost of Nuclear Weapons: a Letter to the Cast and Crew of Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer has reinvigorated public conversation about nuclear weapons and the health harms of testing, especially the harm done to communities who were left to deal with the effects of radioactive fallout without any information or help. As a physicist myself, when I watched the film, I was struck by J. Robert Oppenheimer’s advocacy against the devastating harms from nuclear weapons – and his complicity. For example, before the Trinity Test, he warned of possible health effects from fallout for bombing crews, yet failed to consider risks for nearby communities. Today, those communities are still suffering from cancers, autoimmune disorders, thyroid disorders and more.

While Oppenheimer’s advocacy during his own time wasn’t straightforward, those involved in the film have a clear and simple opportunity to help right a historical wrong. My organization, the Union of…