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In the Shadow of the Bomb

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In this scholarly and highly readable book, historian and physicist Silvan Schweber contrasts the life, times and work of two of the most important scientists of the twentieth century. Robert Oppenheimer and Hans Bethe were both extraordinarily gifted individuals, born within a few years of each other. As Schweber illustrates, their lives demonstrate fascinating similarities and differences.

Both Oppenheimer and Bethe were precocious and were educated at the best universities in the world. They met when Bethe fled the Nazis for the US. Both of them became world-renowned for their accomplishments in research and teaching and for establishing world-class centers of physics; Oppenheimer at Berkeley and Bethe at Cornell. Oppenheimer early on recognised Bethe as a truly outstanding theoretician and picked him to lead the important theoretical division of the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos. In turn Bethe enormously respected Oppenheimer's intellect, astonishingly quick mind and vast knowledge of diverse fields. After the war both Bethe and Oppenheimer served as top consultants to the government on atomic energy and defense. While Bethe spearheaded the development of physics in the country from Cornell, Oppenheimer served as director of the famed Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, where he worked with individuals like Einstein, Dyson, Godel and von Neumann. Both Bethe and Oppenheimer acted as wise men who others consulted for advice on important matters of science and policy. Both men remained very good friends till Oppenheimer's death in 1967.

On the other hand there were vast differences which partly owed their provenance to each man's personality and which were responsible for shaping their lives. As Schweber notes, Oppenheimer harbored a conflict of personality and self-doubt throughout his life. He could be conceited, had a sharp tongue and made enemies, enemies who finally brought about his downfall in the government. Bethe on the other hand was one of the most balanced and strong-willed scientists of the century. He displayed remarkable equanimity and had rock solid self-confidence without a hint of arrogance. He could be calm under the most trying of circumstances and was a rock of Gibraltar on whom others could depend for sound advice. The differences in personality also led to each man's politics being quite different. While Bethe was a liberal, his more balanced frame of mind and dedication to science kept him from actively pursuing radical political causes. Oppenheimer's soul-searching in the 30s led him to being associated with a variety of left-wing organizations on the West Coast. While such associations were common among intellectuals of that depressing decade and mostly indicated nothing more than naive idealism, they nonetheless came to haunt Oppenheimer after the war.

Schweber's analysis demonstrates that these great differences in personal traits were partly responsible for the path that each man's life took. With his plodding approach and enormous stamina, Bethe made contributions of astonishing breadth and depth to modern physics, won a Nobel Prize and lived till the ripe age of 99. Oppenheimer's contributions were also outstanding but more limited. Perhaps his greatest contribution was the founding of modern theoretical physics in the United States. Nonethless, many people thought his contributions were not commensurate with his brilliance, partly because of his less focused approach and his being interested in several fields of study. Bethe served as a consultant to the government on important matters almost all his life because he could be more gentle and diplomatic than Oppenheimer, who with his sharp tongue and candid opinions quickly made powerful enemies. This led to him being hauled in front of a tribunal which revoked his security clearance. Wounded and depressed by this ungrateful action, Oppenheimer continued to write, teach and speak on science and society but could not influence government policy. On the other hand, Bethe continued to be more valuable as a government advisor throughout his life partly because he knew how to compromise and could be more diplomatic and modest than Oppenheimer.

Schweber's study then is a fascinating study of the forms that genius can take. Both Bethe and Oppenheimer were geniuses, and yet lived lives that were both similar in some ways as well as different. Schweber deftly dissects the various aspects of personality, circumstance, ability and history that were responsible for these similarities and differences. This book is a valuable addition to the history of modern physics that focuses on two of its most important participants.

I cannot praise this book too highly. The issues it is concerned with, the qualities of the individuals it focuses upon, the importance of the lessons which Schweber so clearly defines make it an outstanding contribution to science and to general literature. I cannot remember another occasion in which I spent as much time on the introduction to a book as I did in this case.Although the setting is within the realm of science there is no requirement that the reader have a scientific background to appreciate fully the nature of this book which is concerned with moral responsibility and ethical behaivor at a level which impacts on the survival of humanity and the endurance of our planet. I found myself going back to my old copy of Lawrence and Oppenheimer by Nuel Pharr Davis which deals with many of the same issues in Schweber's book; but from a much different perspective. The concurent reading of both books has been a very satisfying experience. I believe In The Shadow of the Bomb is an extremely important book with meaningfull lessons for society. Nothing like it has been presented on this topic before.

Some years ago I visited Los Alamos and toured the small museum in Fuller Lodge which contains some interesting memorabilia from Oppenheimer's era. One is a letter from his secretary to the Buildings and Maintenance Department requesting that a carpenter come to Dr. Oppenheimer's office and drive a nail into the wall so that Dr. Oppenheimer could have a place to hang his hat. A second letter, dated some months later, is a repeat request for the same action. I was well aware that Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist and not an expermental physicist never the less I marveled at the fact that he was apparently incapable of using even simple tools.I found this lack of a practical approach to a low level technical problem disconserting. If Oppenheimer had learned how to use a hammer to drive a nail perhaps things might have ended for him some what differently. We will never know.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to find out something about two of the greatest scientists of the 20th century. I originally bought this book for a paper on J.R. Oppenheimer's ethical behaviour and I was a bit disappointed that the main part of where he completely changed his point of view concerning the development of the atomic bomhb and the H-bomb was written in the introduction. It is the most informative part of the book anyway, since it is easy to read even if you didn't have more than an introductory course in Physics at school.

All in all I can say that this is a book that gives a good look behind the scenes of science, in the mind of these two scientists who helped shape the world as we enter the next millennium.

The 21st century is here and ethical may play a significant role in decisions made in scientific research and international affairs. This is so because the world in which we live is seeking a direction for human well-being. What's more, the implications of scientific research have moved to the forefront in the midst of cloning, genetic manipulation and so on. This book reminds us that scientists are people too and some were aware of the possible consequences of their work. They were concerned not only with whether or not something could be done but ought it to be done. Such a book is so important for our times as technology continues run far ahead of ethics and moral accountability. In a world where nuclear weapons are spreading it is important that human beings come to grips with the nuclear menace with a commitment to the elimination of these awful weapons. This book should be read by every scientist and concerned citizen. Our future may depend on the lessons gleaned from scuh publications and the life stories of such extraordinary people like Robert Oppenheimer and Hans Bethe.