Join us on for the 12th Annual National Evening of Science on Screen, Tuesday March 25th at 7PM, as we once again partner with the nationwide Science on Screen® program to present Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning epic that chronicles physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s development of the atomic bomb during World War II. This special screening will open with a presentation by Dr. Jacob Barandes called Oppenheimer, Quantum Mechanics, and the Structure of Reality.

ABOUT THE FILM
Cillian Murphy stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant physicist who led the Manhattan Project and became known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” The film follows his meteoric rise in the scientific community, his role in the race to develop nuclear weapons during World War II, and the moral and political fallout that followed the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Told through a fractured, non-linear structure, the narrative weaves together Oppenheimer’s personal struggles, his entanglement in Cold War-era politics, and the devastating consequences of his work. A world-wide box office success — a feat all the more impressive given its subject matter and three-hour running time — Oppenheimer was awarded seven Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Motion Picture of the Year.

ABOUT DR. JACOB BARANDES, AND HIS PRESENTATION
Dr. Jacob Barandes is a theoretical physicist and philosopher of science at Harvard University. He did his undergraduate work at Columbia University in physics and mathematics, and then completed his PhD in theoretical physics at Harvard. Dr. Barandes currently serves as Lecturer and Co-Director of Graduate Studies for the physics PhD program at Harvard, where he teaches courses on the fundamentals of theoretical physics, classical electromagnetism, general relativity, and the history and philosophy of quantum mechanics. He is also an Associated Faculty member with the Department of Philosophy, and a Faculty Affiliate of the Harvard Black Hole Initiative. His research publications span the foundations of quantum theory, philosophy of science, and quantum field theory. Dr. Barandes also organizes the annual New England Workshop on the History and Philosophy of Physics, as well as an international workshop series on physics and philosophy. You can see some of Dr. Barandes’s research and other talks at his website, jacobbarandes.com.

Dr. Jacob Barandes will be joining us remotely prior to the film screening to give a brief introduction on the key people, physics, and philosophical ideas presented in Oppenheimer which he has named Oppenheimer, Quantum Mechanics, and the Structure of Reality. As he writes: “The film Oppenheimer is based on the book American Prometheus, whose title evokes a mythological being who stole fire from the gods and shared it with humanity. But J. Robert Oppenheimer did not give us the atom bomb alone. As the book and the film both make clear, many people had their hands in the development of nuclear technology. In my talk, I will explain some of the extraordinary underlying physics, like quantum theory and relativity. Dr. Barandes will also lay out the scientific history of the atom bomb, and describe the key personalities featured in Oppenheimer.”

ABOUT OUR MODERATOR
Atalia Lopez is an Australian transplant, Letterboxd devotee, and Frida Cinema board member. She teaches classes on the intersection of film, literature, and the urban environment at Chapman University, and is proudly responsible for exposing hundreds of students to David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. Atalia completed her undergraduate studies in literature at Chapman University and holds a master’s degree from the University of Oxford. You may also know her as the host of The Frida’s monthly Film Trivia Nights, where she invented the celebrated “fourth round stretch.”

ABOUT SCIENCE ON SCREEN
Science on Screen® is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, with major support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and their grant initiative brings science to cinemas nationwide. The Coolidge Corner Theatre’s series has enhanced film and scientific literacy with this popular program, which launched at the Coolidge in 2005 in partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and its pioneering nationwide film program. Since 2011, Sloan has awarded the Coolidge over $4 million to develop and administer Science on Screen programs around the US through partnerships with other nonprofits. The Coolidge has in turn awarded 393 grants totaling over $2.5 million to 121 film and science-focused organizations in 44 states (plus Washington, DC) across the country.  Learn more at scienceonscreen.org.