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The MSOE library guide to Boppenheimer

by Taylor Kelley on 2023-07-21T15:55:00-05:00 | 0 Comments

On July 21, movie-goers will finally get to experience Boppenheimer (or Barbenheimer, whichever you prefer), the synchronous release of Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" and Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" into theaters nationwide. It's been a summer of anticipation that made this unlikely pair of films the subject of all kinds of internet and social media goofing-off, and it got us at the library thinking about all the ways Boppenheimer could be a big time learning opportunity.

We expect that the STEM-minded MSOE community will have a particular interest in the life and work of notable physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, but we think there is a lot to learn from Barbie as well, including lessons on business, materials science, and the evolution of the feminist movement. Likewise, interest in "Oppenheimer" might get you thinking about topics beyond the STEM disciplines such as ethics, world history, and popular culture. Or maybe all the excitement around two big movie releases  has you in the mood to watch more movies (a great way to relax before the fall semester begins). Whatever aspect of this irreverent cultural zeitgeist is piquing your interest, the library at MSOE has a resource for it!

 

Our complete collection of Boppenheimer-related materials can be found on display in the library, but here are a few highlights:

 

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American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

The source material for the movie and winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for biography, this book is the result of 25 years of research that included  112 interviews and approximately 50,000 pages of primary source materials. The Boston Globe called it "an Everest among the mountain of books on the bomb project" and "an achievement not likely to be surpassed or equaled."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Mattel’s Barbie: Investigation of a Symbol—Analysis of Polymeric Matrices and Degradation Phenomena for Sixteen Dolls from 1959 to 1976 by Andrea Macchia, et al

The material science of the Barbie Doll is examined in this 2022 study published in the journal Polymers. From the abstract: "Mattel's Barbie dolls are the most famous and iconic dolls since 1959. Today, they are being collected by individuals and often conserved in museum environments...however, just like most museum objects made of plastics, both historical and more recent Barbies show evident degradation phenomena."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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A World Without War directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick

The final episode of this seven-part series examines the last six months of World War II, including events surrounding the Manhattan Project and the use of the atomic bomb. The use of interviews with average Americans who experienced the conflict both at the front and at home -not typical of most World War II documentaries - makes the series a moving and compelling watch.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Backlash: the Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi

In this book, which examines the steps forward taken by the feminist movement in the 1970s and the subsequent steps back experienced in the 1980s, journalist Susan Faludi provides this definition of feminism: "It is the simply worded sign hoisted by a little girl in the 1970 Women’s Strike for Equality: I AM NOT A BARBIE DOLL." Whether you agree with Faludi or not, "Backlash", which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for non-fiction in 1991, is a seminal work of late 20th-century feminist criticism and a worthy read for anyone wanting to know more about the movement and its varying points of view.
 
 
 

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Barefoot Gen: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima by Keiji Nakazawa

First published in book form in 1975, this manga is loosely based on the author's own experiences as a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima, which occurred when he was six years old. Publisher's Weekly wrote that "despite its harrowing nature, this work is invaluable for the lessons it offers in history, humanity, and compassion."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Legally Blonde by directed by Robert Luketic

If "Backlash" is quintessential late 20th-century feminism then "Legally Blonde" may be quintessential early 21st-century feminism; a new approach to the movement that rejects the notion that qualities associated with femininity (romance, fashion, hair care, Barbie!) are inferior and frivolous. But maybe you just want to watch a fun, feel-good movie that doesn't require you to think too much. That's valid, too.

 

 

 

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