The biographical film Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, has failed to inspire young physicists, according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Despite receiving positive reviews, Altman believes that the movie missed its mark in motivating kids to pursue careers in physics.
Expressing his disappointment on Twitter, Altman stated, I was hoping that the Oppenheimer movie would inspire a generation of kids to be physicists but it really missed the mark on that. Let’s get that movie made! Altman praised David Fincher’s The Social Network, which depicts Mark Zuckerberg’s journey with Facebook, as a film that successfully inspired startup founders.
Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, seemed to agree with Altman’s sentiment, responding to the tweet with a simple Indeed.
Altman also shared his thoughts on other inspirational movies, pointing out that Apollo 11, which delves into NASA’s famous mission led by astronaut Neil Armstrong, is the most inspiring film he has ever seen. He highly recommended it to his followers.
To decide which films to watch, Altman conducted a poll on Twitter between Barbie and Oppenheimer. With 42,000 votes, 82% opted for Oppenheimer while only 18% favored Barbie. As a result, Altman announced that he would be watching Oppenheimer.
Nolan’s Oppenheimer is based on the biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer and follows the physicist’s involvement in the Manhattan Project during World War II. Oppenheimer and his team dedicated several years to developing the atomic bomb, culminating in the world’s first nuclear explosion on July 16, 1945.
While Altman and some moviegoers feel that Oppenheimer fell short in inspiring young physicists, the film continues to captivate audiences with its portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s pivotal role in shaping history.
