Reimagining the Past

Home , Seth Neddermeyer

Reproducible Master ACTIVITY 2 reimagining the past To create a series about the greatest race against time in the history of science, the writers of Manhattan had to look closely at the time period — the culture, the events, the mood of early 1940’s America — to understand how The Manhattan Project evolved and how it changed the lives of those who made it a success. In the process, they discovered that many of the social pressures that shaped those times can still be felt in American society today. DISCOVERY DISCUSSION Based on the information you have Here is some background on the main characters of Manhattan. You can learn more about gathered, analyze and debate the their personalities by watching the series. Then use the resources provided in Activity 1 to following topics: research the history behind these fictional creations. • Los Alamos was a secret community. Discuss the toll secret-keeping Robert Oppenheimer Colonel Emmett Darrow had on the married couples in The scientific director of Darrow joins Manhattan Los Alamos. What was its toll on The Manhattan Project, for Season 2 as the friendships between the scientists Oppenheimer is a brilliant commanding officer at working on the project? On theoretical physicist whose Los Alamos. He is a man relationships between the scientists reputation and reserve with strong religious and their military colleagues? Can allow him to manipulate convictions who feels secrecy ever strengthen the bonds the ambitions of the compelled by God to between members of a social scientists under him and deflect the demands bring about the atomic age. group? of his military superiors. • Hundreds of women played a part in The Manhattan Project, including Frank Winter Liza Winter several who worked on development Leader of the team Frank’s wife, Liza holds of the bomb at Los Alamos. Consider tasked with developing a Ph.D in botany. She is how women were treated at Los an implosion technique concerned about whether Alamos. Was this on par with how for detonating the atomic living in Los Alamos they were treated by American society bomb, Frank is a scientific is healthy and if the as a whole during World War II? genius driven by conviction residents are in physical • Some historians regard The whose personal code of danger. Manhattan Project as the first duty can place him in conflict with authority. example of what has come to be called “big science” — that is, Charlie Isaacs Abby Isaacs large-scale scientific esearchr funded The youngest scientist at Charlie’s wife, Abby is and directed by government. How Los Alamos, Charlie leads accustomed to suburban involved should the government development of a rival Boston and regrets their be in terms of overseeing scientific method for detonating move to Los Alamos research? What pressures does the bomb until he is with its invasive security government place on scientists? Is suddenly assigned to lead measures and petty there room for intellectual freedom Frank’s team and placed professional jealousies. But in government-funded research? in charge of the program. she takes a different view when Charlie takes • How were individuals who had charge of the program. been involved in The Manhattan How does Manhattan’s Robert Oppenheimer compare to the real historical figure? How does Project received by their fellow Colonel Darrow compare to the real military commander of Los Alamos, General Leslie Groves? Americans when they returned to Compare Frank Winter and Charlie Isaacs to the real leader of the implosion team, Seth Neddermeyer, mainstream society? How would you and the scientist who was appointed to replace him, George Kistiakowsky. Use your research to explore have treated people involved in the how reimagining history as drama can bring the feel and feelings of the past back to life. creation of the atomic bomb?