This summer’s must-see movie is shaping up as the newly released Hollywood feature film Oppenheimer, about the scientist J Robert Oppenheimer who developed the atomic bomb.
It is the zeitgeist not least because the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is in the middle of Ukraine’s hot war front line. The risk of war damage is just one danger to it. The plant could yet go into meltdown like the Fukushima power plant in Japan, where the radiation was released from the spent fuel ponds. Or there could be a radioactive release at Chernobyl-scale if more than one of the six reactors melts.
The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June destroyed the reservoir that fed the cooling systems from the Dnipro River.
My email inbox doesn’t usually heavily feature new Hollywood releases, but there has been some significant traffic about Oppenheimer. The engagement of the arms-control experts and strategic influencers with the release tells its own story, reinforcing the movie’s importance at this time.
A panel discussion after a private screening of the film in London’s Battersea Power Station is scheduled for later this week. The organiser and nuclear risks expert Andreas Persbo points out that Mr Oppenheimer wrestled with the profound implications of bringing these weapons into the world. Mr Persbo says we now face “perhaps the gravest nuclear threat since the Cuban Missile Crisis”.
At this point, we are all in some way Mr Oppenheimer’s children, and his moral choice may be our moral choice.
Joseph Cirincione, another well-credentialed nuclear arms expert and author of Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons, points to the stakes that surrounded Mr Oppenheimer when he gathered his team at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the US to start the race towards atomic weapons.
Albert Einstein was a promoter, as Mr Cirincione recalls he was among the scientists in 1939 who wrote to then-US president Franklin D Roosevelt advising the launch of what was to become the Manhattan Project. Work on nuclear fusion and fission very much stemmed from Mr Einstein, as it relied on proving his famous formulation E = mc2.
The Oppenheimer postscript to making the bomb was his advice on how not to get annihilated
However, the most famous scientist of all practically disavowed Los Alamos before he died in 1955. He said if he had known that Germany would not get the bomb, he would “have done nothing”.
James Cameron, the BBC journalist who was invited to Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands to witness the test of an atomic bomb in the 1940s, later had a different take when asked about Mr Oppenheimer’s work. The atomic bomb at that stage was akin to the later conquest of Mount Everest – it had to be conquered because it was there.
At the BBC’s Reith Lectures in 1953, Mr Oppenheimer observed that our ends have little to do with our beginnings, as today’s civilisation goes through rapid transformation in the course of just one lifetime.
No one is immune from the fact that what we learn at school is rendered inadequate by new discoveries and new inventions.
A new age was born at the Los Alamos buildings on a New Mexico plateau. “We knew the world would not be the same,” Mr Oppenheimer said, when the first blast happened on the July 16, 1945. He recalled the Hindu scripture: “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.”
The Oppenheimer postscript to making the bomb was his advice on how not to get annihilated. In fact, he lost his security clearance in 1954.
His oversight of the US-based Institute of Advanced Study for two decades from 1947 has also provided an enduring legacy. At a time when the world worries that advances such as ChatGPT threatens the future of humanity, Mr Oppenheimer’s work on how technology should work for human interests – and not against humanity – is enduringly relevant.
When I first studied computer science in the mid-1980s, the creation of the stored-programme computer was one of the foundational parts of the course. This computer was created by the Hungarian-American mathematician John von Neumann next to Mr Oppenheimer’s office at the Institute. Mr Von Neumann worried privately that computing machines were a monster that people could not keep pace with.
Advances in game theory involving Mr Oppenheimer have allowed humans to, so far, keep pace with the technology. He recognised that humans cannot just rely on technological advances alone. Instead, thought work across a range of disciplines must set the pace.
This allows researchers, such as those behind the new AI models, to maximise progress within a greater context. It ensures that humanity can adjust and thrive on technological change through more technology and more innovation.
The Institute was not just home to Mr Einstein and Mr Oppenheimer but philosophy experts and Cold War strategists. In the Common Room, if there was one, many of these figures might have easily recognised the dilemmas and debates raging over ChatGPT and rival Bard today.
Is the optimal response algorithms that enforce fairness? Or UN Security Council meetings on how to set ground rules for AI applications? Or debates in parliaments about how to make laws to govern the developments?
A fundamental truth from Mr Oppenheimer’s work on the bomb is that the development of atomic weapons was already in sight when he started it. His team was the first to create it.
The Mount Everest factor is always there. Mr Oppenheimer tells us how to best adapt in the face of change.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Carzaty%2C%20now%20Kavak%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20launched%20in%202018%2C%20Kavak%20in%20the%20GCC%20launched%20in%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20140%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Automotive%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20raised%20%246m%20in%20equity%20and%20%244m%20in%20debt%3B%20Kavak%20plans%20%24130m%20investment%20in%20the%20GCC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
more from Janine di Giovanni
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWest%20Asia%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Bahrain%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%201%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%202%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%20III%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDubai%20Sevens%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
