National Geographic | BARBENHEIMER SPECIAL EDITION

National Geographic

BARBENHEIMER:
THE STORIES BEHIND THE FILMS

Now that you've seen this summer's blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer, it's time for a deep dive. We dissect the communist accusations against the father of the atomic bomb and the film's historical accuracy—and dig into the surprisingly rich history of Barbie's signature color.

PHOTOGRAPH BY UNIVERSAL HISTORY ARCHIVE/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The 'father of the atomic bomb' lived under a cloud of suspicion. Who was Oppenheimer?

When J. Robert Oppenheimer arrived in New Mexico in April 1943 for the top-secret Manhattan Project, he didn't yet have a security clearance. Why? He was suspected of being linked to a spy ring run by America's Soviet allies. Here's a look at the suspicions that surrounded him, even as he conducted the Trinity atomic bomb test (seen above).

WAS HE A COMMUNIST?

OPPENHEIMER'S REGRETS: What happens when a scientist comes to regret the knowledge he's unleashed? +

PHOTOGRAPH BY EVELYN FREJA, NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ HISTORICAL ACCURACY‌ ‌ ‌

How does 'Oppenheimer' re-create history? We asked Christopher Nolan.

IS IT ACCURATE?

COURTESY OF ANASTACIO AND ROSALIE CORDOVA

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ATOMIC TEST SURVIVORS‌ ‌ ‌

The first test of the atomic bomb spread fallout across the country

'THEY LIED TO US'

PHOTOGRAPH BY GERD LUDWIG, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Barbie's signature pink may be Earth's oldest color. Here's how it took over the world.

The natural world has long been painted with every permutation of pink—whether embedded deep in ancient rock, sported by shrimp-hungry flamingoes, or simply lining the shores of Bermuda's pink-sand beaches. And yet the color carries a lot of cultural baggage. Here's a short history of a surprisingly rich and compelling color.

PINK WAS A COLOR FOR BOYS?

HAROLD M. LAMBERT, GETTY IMAGES

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ THE POWER OF NOSTALGIA‌ ‌ ‌

Feeling nostalgic? Here's how your brain is hardwired to crave it.

FROM BARBIE TO GRIMACE

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHY HOLLINGTON

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ THE PATRIARCHY MYTH‌ ‌ ‌

It's a man's world? Not according to biology or history.

MATRILINY THRIVES

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