>>> "OPPENHEIMER" HITS THEATERS THIS WEEK .

WITH DEEP CONNECTIONS TO CHICAGO.

AND, THE MANHATTAN PROJECT THAT LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.

>>> DECEMBER 2nd, 1942.

THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE ATOMIC AGE.

THE VINE COVERED WALLS , THE GOVERNMENT BEGAN WORK ON THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVICE IN MODERN HISTORY.

NEVER AGAIN WILL A SINGLE EFFORT SO PROUD PROFOUNDLY AFFECT THE FUTURE.

MORE, JOHN MARK ANTHONY, WITH POLITICAL SCIENCE RESEARCHING THE NUCLEAR AGE IN HYDE PARK.

JOINING US FROM CALIFORNIA IS THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND WELCOME BOTH OF YOU.

IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU.

REMIND US HOW CHICAGO CAME TO BE , IT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.

>> AND BASICALLY, YOU CAME TO CHICAGO ?

>> IT WAS ARTHUR COMPTON.

IN DECEMBER OF 1941.

>> PLEASE REMIND US , HOW DOES THIS RELEASE .

THAT WAS 1935.

THAT WAS WITH EACH SPLIT, THE EXPLOSIVE LOSS ALAMO'S , WITH MORE PRIORITY.

>> AND THERE WAS A RELAY RACE THAT BEGAN WITH LOSS ALAMO'S.

THE SCIENTISTS WORKING ON THIS , DID THEY KNOW THAT THE END RESULT WOULD BE A MASSIVE BOMB, THE LIKES OF WHICH THE WORLD HAD NEVER SEEN?

>> I BELIEVE FROM EARLY ON , THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE WORKING ON.

THE SPECIFICS OF PUTTING IT TOGETHER AT LOS ALAMOS AND THE INITIAL TESTING OF PRODUCT.

MAKING SURE WHAT THEIR THEORIES SAID , A LOT OF THAT HAPPENED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.

>> THIS IS UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, DID THEY FEEL CONFIDENT GOING INTO IT?

MANY WERE INVOLVED , MANY HAD A PATRIOTIC DUTY.

THEY WERE DEATHLY AFRAID OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

>> AND DID IT TURN OUT THAT THE WERE DEVELOPING SOMETHING SIMILAR?

>> THEY WERE CERTAINLY WORKING ON IT.

THEY FOUND OUT THAT IT TOOK A WRONG TURN ALONG THE WAY.

>> AS THIS TRANSPIRED, DID SCIENTIST AFTER THAT FEEL CONFLICTED ABOUT WHAT THIS WOULD LEAD TO AND ITS POTENTIAL USE IN WAR?

>> IT WAS A RACE.

THEY WERE VERY FOCUSED ON THAT, SOMETHING THAT SEEMED PATRIOTIC, HELPING TO WIN THE WAR.

THAT WAS AFTER ATTEMPTS TO PERSUADE THE PRESIDENT TO DO THOSE DEMONSTRATIONS AND WHEN THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN , UNITED STATES WENT AHEAD AND BOMBED HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI.

MANY OF THEM FORMED A GROUP.

THAT WAS SORT OF CENTERED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO AND THAT WOULD EXPLAIN HOW DANGEROUS THAT WAS.

>> AND EVERY YEAR YOU COME OUT WITH THE ATOMIC CLOCK WHICH SEEMS TO GET CLOSER AND CLOSER.

YOU DID INTERVIEW THE DIRECTOR, CHRISTOPHER NOLAN.

WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT WHY HE WANTED TO DO THAT?

>> HE EXPLAINED THAT IN THE 1980S.

HE WAS FROM THE UK.

HE EVENTUALLY RAN ACROSS A PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING BIOGRAPHY , IT WAS 700 PAGES.

HE TOOK ON THE TASK OF TRYING TO PRESENT IT FOR THE SCREEN .

HE ALSO CONVINCED ME THAT HE'S GENUINELY CONCERNED ABOUT IT.

>> AND THAT EXPLAINS SOME ISSUES WITH AI, AMONG OTHER THINGS.

IT HELPS US TO FIND OUT WHO J ROBERT OPPENHEIMER WAS AND WHAT HE HELPED TO CREATE.

>> HE DID IMPORTANT WORK IN THEORETICAL PHYSICS AND IN THE LABORATORY .

HE WAS A VERY WELL EDUCATED MAN AND VERY MUCH TORTURED ABOUT HIS ROLE.

>> AND I THINK THIS MOVIE PORTRAYS THAT.

IT'S AN ALLEGORY FOR WHAT IS GOING ON , AND THE WORRIES ABOUT THE DIFFERENT USES THAT COULD BE PERNICIOUS, DOWN THE ROAD.

>> THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AS IT RELATES TO A LOT OF THE SCIENTISTS AND THE SAME SORTS OF FEARS OF IT GETTING OUT OF CONTROL OR BEING USED FOR EVIL.

THAT COULD REALLY DISRUPT CIVILIZATION, AT THE LEAST.

THERE ARE INTERSECTIONS , THERE ARE PEOPLE ACCUSED OF USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IRRESPONSIBLY , WHICH BRINGS PROBLEMS BACK TO THE NUCLEAR QUESTION ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND IT SEEMS TO BE PARTICULARLY DAUNTING.

>> THERE'S A GREAT DIRECTOR THAT DID A MOVIE ABOUT THAT