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Einstein, Oppenheimer were "genius" behind Manhattan Project
"Einstein and Oppenheimer: The Meaning of Genius" Albert Einstein is possibly the man most of us think of first when we hear the very word "genius" tossed about, and certainly Dr. Einstein is the archtype of the modern, astute, slightly eccentric, scientist. J. Robert Oppenheimer is a man less known to popular culture but still a very public face in the landscape of American science, the nuclear arms race, and the development of the Cold War. These two icons of physics worked together on the Manhattan Project and were tied to many of the same major sets of ideas which trace their origins back to the early part of the twentieth century. In the midst of some of the greatest minds to ever tackle the most difficult issues within the scope of physics (Lise Meitner, Otto Hahn, Enrico Fermi, and Marie Curie, to name only a handful) Einstein and Oppenheimer rose to embody what the pragmatic accomplishments of nuclear research meant in both weapons and non-military applications. With a paradigm shift as broad and meaningful as that of the entry into the nuclear age, a public face was required to show the human side of the complex science behind such developments and Einstein and Oppenheimer provided that face, each in his own way. Silvan S. Schweber, a noted physicist in his own right, has written a most insightful and interesting book, not a traditional biography at all but a composite look at both Einstein and Oppenheimer. In this unique book, Schweber traces the interactions of these men, choices they made independently that were newsworthy or important to their work as scientists, and how the public view of both brought them to be viewed in the "genius" capacity. In doing so, he asked "what is a genius?" and why the imperative to make a genius out of Einstein, and to something of a less extent, Oppenheimer, was so essential to America. After all, were Einstein and Oppenheimer's actions and their very lives as professional scientists really hallmarks of genius status or were they simply profoundly hard-working men who were blessed by working at quite possibly the most exciting time in history to be a physicist? In asking these questions, Schweber opens up a Pandora's box of how the lay public examines scientific progress and how we seek idols in the greatest of our scientists as we do in other arenas such as sports, entertainment, and politics. While the title of "genius" may seem flattering beyond compare, Schweber notes how expectations of a "genius" often made people have unrealistic expectations for both Einstein and Oppenheimer alike. Einstein's value as a "genius" was applied in his association with the founding of Brandeis University though his work on this school was short-lived due to his differences with other founders of Brandeis and this situation is investigated with great care by Schweber. Likewise, Oppenheimer was expected to share the hawkish views of Cold War political leaders and was thereby expected to support political goals via scientific and technological means. Both Einstein and Oppenheimer were outspoken, highly moral and ethical men and their capacity to reason on non-scientific matters with as astute logic as they would apply to a problem in physics was in itself staggering. Einstein, to this end, once even stated that he considered himself a philosopher before a physicist. What did America really expect from these men? To do their jobs, within the scope of their careers and also in service to their nation, which they both did, or to become nearly superhero-like figures towering on high, able to lead us all by the hand into the furture? From Schweber's consummate research it appears we can say "yes" to both positions, that at a time when science was progressing by leaps and bounds we desired Einstein and Oppenheimer to be the vanguard of this movement forward. These two gentlemen also represented in their own ways the concept of Germany, of the proverbial other, of Europe and the developments in physics under bright, daring, European researchers such as the Curies. Central casting for a Hollywood blockbuster could not have imagined a better character than Einstein nor could anyone have come up with a better man to embody a thinker and leader in one person than Oppenheimer: in many ways, these two men were nearly too good to be true. Yet underneath it all they were very real men with real problems and trials in their lives, work, and families, a point that Schweber makes resoundingly clear. By taking key events from the lives of both men, Schweber is able to construct a timeline of how they interacted with various public institutions and the public vision of each came about: through what had to have been painstaking research, Schweber is able to demonstrate that Einstein and Oppenheimer were both unique in the sense that while in public view they were products of their time, they both had such dynamic minds and such a strong will to apply their talents that much of what they accomplished they would have whether they were in the public eye or not. In fact, perhaps they would have been even more successful had they the same amount of funding and tacit support without the fame they both garnered. Via this deep and highly-reasoned book, Schweber is able to paint portraits of not only two very complex men but their relationships with each other, various other scientists and public figures of their time, and with a broad public. In the creation of the genius mythos around each, Schweber approaches the situation at hand as a true scientist, interested in learning the actual details of the issue and not coming to any premature conclusions. In a time when much of what passes for public thought is being reduced to soundbites and speeches peppered with more jokes than real substance, it's both warming and awe-inspiring to see the lives of two men who were capable of considering the vast enterprises of physics, technology, war, politics, and human ethos. Much like Ruth Lewin Sine's commanding biography of Lise Meitner (University of California Press, 1996), a rich portrait is provided in an easy-to-read manner that is certain to inspire as many questions in readers' minds as it provides ready answers, and this is exactly as it should be: this volume should inspire scientists and non-scientists alike to consider in detail how technology, science, and public affairs blend together and there is much to be learned from this book that needs to be applied to scientific and political discourse today.
MIKE WALKER is a journalist who contributes to this and other news media. He has written for both the popular press and peer-reviewed academic and trade journals on the physical and life sciences; his main focus in book reviews is social, political, and natural history and poetry. Mike may be reached at: cloudrace@prontomail.com |
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