EINSTEIN AND THE BOMB. Science fiction that became reality

Netflix is increasingly investing in documentary films. After the production about Alexander the Great, another equally important title about Albert Einstein has been added to the streaming platform. It’s something like a biography, but it deals with several aspects of the life of the great scientist – his discoveries in the context of dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, his stance on Nazism, and his political activity, from which he desperately wanted to escape at any cost, but failed to do so in those times. We are fortunate that Albert Einstein lived in times not so distant from ours, when photography and film existed, and he himself wrote a lot, not only about science but also about the world, human morality, culture, and history. Netflix has now utilized this legacy in a small but significant slice to tell us about a certain shameful failure of this historically great scientist, from which we still haven’t drawn the right conclusions.

Paradoxically, Einstein always shied away from fame. He wanted to quietly work in some quiet corner and study the nature of the universe. However, this turned out to be impossible already at the beginning of the 20th century when he formulated the principles of the Theory of Relativity, thereby forever tying his life to politics, which at that time in European history feared the term “relativity.” Einstein didn’t stop at just one theory. He observed and discovered the nature of reality, simultaneously making his presence increasingly felt through his discoveries. The problem was that he lived in Germany and was Jewish, and after the defeat of World War I, it became increasingly difficult to live as a Jew speaking about atoms and relativity in his “homeland.” The emerging Nazism hated everything that was relative, dependent on interpretation, and unstable because these qualities threatened its chauvinistic existence. So, whether he wanted it or not, Einstein was entangled in politics by his theories. Eventually, he had to flee Germany. He had always been a pacifist, but at some point in his life, he realized that it was impossible to escape by refusing to participate in the fight. Even pacifism reaches a point where it must confront hateful force with even greater energy, otherwise, the world will plunge into war, and there will be no state based on freedom and the welfare of the individual left in it. However, the price for this resistance is sometimes unpredictably high, which Einstein didn’t realize at some point, especially when he signed the letter to Roosevelt requesting the intensification of work on the atomic bomb, which he later regretted and considered his greatest mistake, solely driven by fear that the Germans would create this type of weapon first. And this is mainly what Netflix’s documentary focuses on, on this dilemma, or perhaps contradiction, which Einstein painfully realized towards the end of his life.

For objects or conscious observers, for everything generally, that moves at different speeds, time flows at a different rate as well. Time cannot be defined, but it can be experienced and described. Time is relative. It stretches and contracts. An hour for us on Earth can be a century on another planet and vice versa. Therefore, the past, present, and future are just illusions. There is no fundamental difference between mass and energy. Energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared, so a very small mass can be converted into a huge amount of energy. Mass and energy are different manifestations of the same phenomenon. Thus, the gateway to the world of science fiction films was paradoxically opened by these theories of Albert Einstein. If we add to these discoveries the proof of the existence of atoms and the description of the nature of light, a real gateway to creating the atomic bomb was also opened, yet the protagonist of our documentary was a radical pacifist. He believed that it was impossible during his lifetime to practically prove the thesis that such a large amount of energy could be created from a small mass capable of killing tens of thousands of people in one moment.

From statement to statement, from old footage to narrative scenes reconstructed with actors, Netflix’s documentary shows how Einstein struggled between his idealized vision of peaceful science and its deadly use during World War II and later, when the USA and the USSR fought each other for world supremacy. The framework of this story became two places, visualized for the needs of the documentary, the 1930s. Roughton Heath in Norfolk, England, as part of Commander Locker-Lampson’s estate, and the year 1955, the last year of the scientist’s life in Princeton, New Jersey. It is here that Einstein meets with a visualization of Japanese journalist Katsu Hara and engages in something like a confession, summarizing his responsibility for the atomic bomb and generally for the role of science in human civilization. They corresponded in reality, but in this case, it was worth creating an actor’s image of Hara to resonate more strongly with the audience. The production lasts an hour and 16 minutes, which is enough to outline the problem, allow for reflection, and at the same time not tire the viewer. This is not a popular science film but rather a biographical one, focused on presenting an aspect of Einstein’s life that is significant for our civilization today, and for the perception of the scientist’s figure, who is not only an icon of science but also of pop culture, used, among others, in science fiction cinema.

Science fiction often uses the motif of total destruction and the concept of a weapon capable of destroying entire planets, which is actually a modification of our present-day atomic weapons. Here is the most important contribution to the development of the catastrophic sci-fi genre, somewhat created by Einstein, although at different stages of his life, he changed his mind about the extent to which his theories influenced the possibility of creating an atomic bomb. However, towards the end of his life, he did not deny that it was not so much his scientific activity but his political one that could have contributed to accelerating work on the bomb, although perhaps in this area of his activity, Einstein overestimated his contribution. After all, it was Oppenheimer who controlled the course of the work, and Einstein was completely sidelined from it, being considered a dangerous element due to his pacifist views and tendency to speak out on non-scientific topics in the social sphere. Netflix’s documentary “Einstein and the Bomb” doesn’t accentuate this aspect so strongly, although it strongly focuses on the interpretation of the scientist’s reflections on the atomic bomb, the role of science, and ways to use it to bring peace to the world. And it must be admitted that in terms of editing, dialogue, and acting (Aidan McArdle as the main character), it does it excellently. Knowing Einstein’s image, reading his statements, watching films with him, viewers may feel as if they are actually in contact with the resurrected genius. However, the reflection that this outstanding man makes about life and the environment is not one of joy but rather of defeat. It seems that there is no other way to bring peace to the world. It must be violently hacked with sharp axes; otherwise, every pacifist and advocate of civil liberties will hang on the hooks of nationalists and chauvinists as an example of those subversive elements that must be exterminated because they are harmful, because they want too much for others. And they don’t actually deserve anything, except for a standardized life and work to death beyond their capabilities for the ruling caste overflowing with excess. Dropping the atomic bomb doesn’t mean anything more than winning the war but not peace.

If we don’t change our approach to politics, humanity faces destruction – NO ONE UNDERSTOOD EINSTEIN’S WORDS TODAY EITHER. And, as Einstein adds, since future generations won’t understand them, won’t think more rationally, then they can go to hell.