The Real-Life Medicine and Science Behind Oppenheimer’s Demon
Most people know about the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945. But Robert Oppenheimer’s Manhattan Project had on hand another nuclear core. After claiming the lives of two scientists in separate accidents, it was dubbed the Demon Core and melted down. Some demons, however, are not so easily destroyed. Today, guest host Jonathan Witt concludes his conversation with medical doctor, disaster prep expert, and novelist Geoffrey Simmons about his new thriller novel Oppenheimer’s Demon, now available from Discovery Institute Press.
In this segment, Simmons and Witt continue to delve into the nail-biting plot of his novel and the characters that move the action forward. The pair also discuss the state of disaster preparedness today. Are all of America’s major cities ready to respond to disaster? Simmons shares his thoughts, and provides some advice to those who want to be ready personally to respond to possible disaster.
Simmons explains how he drew on his professional background as an ER doctor and disaster preparedness expert to make his story real and plausible. The scenes in hospitals, for example, are inspired in gritty detail by Simmons’s years at Chicago’s busiest hospital. The novel also addresses the dangers of public panic and gridlock during evacuations, drawing on real-world events like Hurricane Rita to emphasize that running blindly can often cause more deaths than the disaster itself. Rather than extreme prepping, Simmons encourages practical neighborhood readiness and the helpfulness of resources like Ready.gov.
This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Listen to or watch Part 1.
Dig Deeper
- Put Oppenheimer’s Demon on your reading list! Get your copy today.
- Geoff Simmons reads from his new novel Oppenheimer’s Demon in this recent episode: