in alamogordo, new mexico, on july 16, 1945

we waited until the blast had passed, walked out of the shelter and then it was extremely solemn...

if the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky that would be like the splendor of the mighty one...

the optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds and the pessimist knows it.

-j. robert oppenheimer


we were lying there,　 very tense,　 in the early dawn, and there were just a few streaks of gold in the east; you could see your neighbor very dimly. those ten seconds were the longest ten seconds that i ever experienced.
suddenly, there was an enormous flash of light , the brightest light i have ever seen or that i think anyone has ever seen.
it blasted;　it pounced;　it bored its way right through you.　it was a vision which was seen with more than the eye. it was seen to last forever. you would wish it to stop; altogether it lasted about two seconds.
finally it was over, diminishing, and we looked toward the place where the bomb had been;　there was an enormous ball of fire which grew and grew and it rolled as it grew;　it went up into the air,
in yellow flashes　and into scarlet and green.
it looked menacing. it seemed to come toward one. a new thing had just been born...

-isidor rabi


at the instant of the explosion i was looking directly at it, with no eye protection of any kind...the grandeur and magnitude of the phenomenon were completely breath-taking.

-robert serber


we wore welder's glasses. the thing that got
me was not the flash but the blinding heat of
a bright day on your face in the cold desert morning. it was like opening a hot oven with the　sun coming out like a sunrise.

-philip morrison


je　zt 　　komm　e　,　　　　feu　er　　!

-hölderlin


il y a 　　là c　end　　　　　re

-jacques derrida


asche,
asche, 　asche .
nach t .
nach t 　-　 und　 -　 nacht .

-paul celan


tu n'　as rien vu à h　　　iroshima　　　　　.
r　　　　i　　　　e　　　　n　.
j'ai tout vu.
t　　out...

-marguerite duras


for　the gaze of music　that leaves it behind, it is rounded to a sphere　that can be overviewd, as in the meantime it has already been photographed from space , not the center of creation but something minute and ephemeral . to such experience is allied the melancholy hope for other stars, inhabited by happier beings than humans . but the earth that has grown remote to itself is without the hope the stars once promised . it is sinking into empty galaxies . on it lies beauty as the refrection of past hope , which fills the dying eye until　it is frozen below the flakes of unbound space the moment of delight before such beauty dares to withstand its abandonment to disenchanted nature. that metaphysics is no longer possible becomes the ultimate metaphysics.

-theodor. w. adorno


hasel and gretel
are 　alive and 　well
and　they're living in berlin
she 　is　 a　 cocktail 　waitress
he had a part in 　a 　fassbinder film
and 　they　 sit　 around　 at　 night　 now
drinking schnapps　　　　　and　　　　　gin
and she says　:　hansel,　　　　　you're really　bringing me down
and 　he says　:　gretel,　　　　　you 　can 　really 　be 　a 　bitch　　　　　he says　:　i'　ve 　 wasted　 my　　　 life　　　　　on our stupid　　　　　legend　　　　　when my　　　　　one　　　　　and　　　　　only 　　　love　　　　　was the wicked　　　　　witch.

　　she said　:　what is 　history　?
and he said　:　history is an angel　　　　　being blown backwards　　　　　into　the　　　　　future
　　　he said　:　history is a 　 pile　　of 　　　debris and 　　the 　 angel　wants 　　　to
　　　go back and fix things 　 to repair the things
that　have 　been 　broken
but there is a storm blowing from paradaise
and　the storm keeps blowing 　the　angel
backwards　into the future　 ．
and this storm,
this 　　storm
is 　　called
progress

-laurie anderson(for walter benjamin)


staring at a bur　　ning fir　e
isn't salv　ation
sympathy f　or the d　　evil
isn't salvation
lucid ambiguity
isn't salvation
b　la bla bl　a bla bla bl　　　a
isn't s　altation
discovering t　here is n　　o　　　　　salvation
i　s
sa　　lvation

-bernardo bertolucci


taken from "the atomic age" video collection.

oppenheimer's aria :: ryuichi sakamoto / reference : olivier messiaen / visual : shiro takatani (dumb type)
http://www.sitesakamoto.com/oppenheim...

• Category

  Science & Technology

[scottiebones]

It has always creeped me out watching Oppenheimer quote the vedas, as he has a real ghostly look in his face. I guess he now understands that a bunch of psychopaths now have to power to destroy humanity

[IntricateDolphin]

they didn't ask to be born either. life is an imposition.

[WhoLetThemIn]

Wow

[sup3rt0aster]

Can't take all the credit, yosemighty_sam on reddit was the one to write it first (tho I altered it a bit).

[Astavakra1981]

It gives me hope, when I read a comment (written by someone else), that could have been one of my own.

[songersogner]

2edgy4me

[Ezcore Eve]

Japan was ready to tilt over and die.

Their rice supply was non existent for over 1 year. Their armies were suffering and their people were entering famine like conditions. We killed more people with the fire bombings of japan major cities and could have continued doing the same to the rest of them. Leaving all their cities in ruin.

You tell me it saved more lives now.

It was nothing more then a bunch of sick men wanting to see the effects of radiation.

[Giuseppe De Biase]

are you serious?

[Kazem Redacted]

The US stopped trading oil, a crucial ingredient in warfare, to Japan. That could've helped incite what they did.

[ThatPunkMetalBassist]

Well, the US didn't ask for Pearl Harbor back in '41.

[Nick D]

Truly this is sad. He calls himself the destroyer of worlds. He was humbled by the knowledge and the potential of his creation and the horrors it could bring. even though he made one of the most significant scientific advances of modern history, his face seems...regretful

[zaidster111]

dude wtf is wrong with you?