Richard Rhodes - Making of Atomic Bomb, AI, WW2, Oppenheimer, & Abolishing Nukes

<p>It was a tremendous honor & pleasure to interview Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb</p><p>We discuss</p><p>* similarities between AI progress & Manhattan Project (developing a powerful, unprecedented, & potentially apocalyptic technology within an uncertain arms-race situation)</p><p>* visiting starving former Soviet scientists during fall of Soviet Union</p><p>* whether Oppenheimer was a spy, & consulting on the Nolan movie</p><p>* living through WW2 as a child</p><p>* odds of nuclear war in Ukraine, Taiwan, Pakistan, & North Korea</p><p>* how the US pulled of such a massive secret wartime scientific & industrial project</p><p>Watch on <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/tMdMiYsfHKo">YouTube</a>. Listen on <a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/richard-rhodes-making-of-atomic-bomb-ai-ww2/id1516093381?i=1000614123147">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/30sLG3txRdRsuGFPenOUbW?si=3KCqwdXVTOiS2BAEvHeeHw">Spotify</a>, or any other podcast platform. Read the full transcript <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dwarkeshpatel.com/p/richard-rhodes">here</a>. Follow <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/dwarkesh_sp">me on Twitter</a> for updates on future episodes.</p><p>Timestamps</p><p>(0:00:00) - Oppenheimer movie</p><p>(0:06:22) - Was the bomb inevitable?</p><p>(0:29:10) - Firebombing vs nuclear vs hydrogen bombs</p><p>(0:49:44) - Stalin & the Soviet program</p><p>(1:08:24) - Deterrence, disarmament, North Korea, Taiwan</p><p>(1:33:12) - Oppenheimer as lab director</p><p>(1:53:40) - AI progress vs Manhattan Project</p><p>(1:59:50) - Living through WW2</p><p>(2:16:45) - Secrecy</p><p>(2:26:34) - Wisdom & war</p><p>Transcript</p><p>(0:00:00) - Oppenheimer movie</p><p><strong>Dwarkesh Patel</strong> 0:00:51</p><p>Today I have the great honor of interviewing Richard Rhodes, who is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/Making-Atomic-Bomb-Richard-Rhode