‘Oppenheimer’, mi tío y los secretos que a EE.UU. aún no le gusta contar

The film “Oppenheimer.” which won seven Academy Awards shows both the  triumph of scientific ingenuity and is  a cautionary tale of unintended consequences.This opinion essay describes reckless exposure of Americans to radiation during the atomic tests that created the bomb. Soldiers, pilots, and sailors – and a military band, the leader of which is the focus of this story – were exposed to high levels of radiation that caused serious illnesses and cancer later in life. They were forbidden to disclose their participation in the nuclear testing, even to spouses and doctors, for decades, making it difficult to trace exactly what impact the exposure had on their health. 5 pps, upper intermediate readers; good for discussion of environmental health issues.

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