Einstein and Oppenheimer:
The Meaning of Genius
Silvan S. Schweber
In mid-20th century America, two
scientists towered over all others in
the public mind: Albert Einstein and
Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer was
the man who built the atomic bomb;
Einstein’s theories explained how such
a vast release of energy was possible.
Both were acclaimed as geniuses of the
highest order. Yet they were dissimilar in
numerous respects. Einstein was solitary, kind, self-assured and even stub-
born; Oppenheimer
was gregarious, witty,
sometimes sarcastic
and cruel, and at some
level deeply insecure.
Historian Silvan
S. Schweber exploits
these contrasts to
explore the meaning of genius, especially
with respect to how these two geniuses
interacted with a non-scientific society.
Many previous writers have examined
both men’s lives thoroughly, but
Schweber brings fresh insight by focusing
Naked in the Woods: Joseph
Knowles and the Legacy of
Frontier Fakery
Jim Motavalli
Last summer, the Discovery Channel temporarily suspended airing
its hit survivalist show Man vs.
Wild. The producer admitted that the
protagonist would get help from staff or
spend nights in hotels — all along claiming to rough it alone in the world’s most
inhospitable places. Yet, Man vs. Wild
was not the first high-profile case of possible “frontier fakery.”
In August 1913, Joseph Knowles, a
former Boston Post illustrator, one-time
trapper, hunting guide and Navy man,
went into the Maine woods on a solitary
retreat. Starting out with nothing, not
even clothes, Knowles thrived for two
months by catching fish, gathering roots
and berries, and killing game, the Post
recounted in frequent updates.
on less widely noted episodes. Aspects
of Einstein’s personality emerge more
clearly, for example, in the accounts of his
role in the founding of Brandeis University.
Oppenheimer’s inner thoughts surface
through analysis of a series of lectures he
delivered at Harvard.
Schweber observes that Einstein
exuded a constant sense of self and
self-assurance throughout his life.
Oppenheimer remade himself several
times as his role evolved from student,
to teacher, to lab administrator and then
public figure.
The differences in their personalities
played out in their engagement in
world affairs. After World War II, both
attempted, each in his own way, to
influence politicians to forge international
controls over the new atomic weaponry,
and both failed. Genius — no matter what
kind — and politics, it seems, don’t mix.
Schweber‘s story shows the difficulties
that geniuses encounter in realms where
knowledge and logic are not valued as
much as power and profit.
— Tom Siegfried
Harvard Univ. Press, 2008, 432 p., $29.95.
Knowles’ feat was touted as a
“scientific experiment” to demonstrate
that humans could still make it when
deprived of the conveniences of
modern life. He was a short-lived media
sensation.
But soon after Knowles’ triumphant
return to Boston, another newspaper
printed an exposé: Knowles had
received help all along. He had spent
time drinking beer at a lodge. And the
bear skin he sported during many public
appearances hosted bullet holes.
Motavalli enriches the narration with
historical context. But perhaps more
important, Motavalli
explores the enduring
significance of the
wilderness in American
culture.
—Davide Castelvecchi
Da Capo Press, 2008,
352 p., $26.95.
Human Origins: What
Bones and Genomes
Tell Us about
Ourselves
Rob DeSalle and
Ian Tattersall
A guided tour of our pre-
history and how we understand it.
Texas A&M Univ. Press, 2008, 216 p., $29.95.
Global Fever: How to
Treat Climate Change
William H. Calvin
An opening image of Edvard
Munch’s “The Scream” will
have you flipping quickly to
“Turning Around by 2020.”
Univ. of Chicago Press, 2008,
337 p., $22.50.
Guilty Robots, Happy
Dogs: The Question of
Alien Minds
David McFarland
The alien minds are of ani-
mals. The question: Can
robots mimic them?
Oxford Univ. Press, 2008, 252 p.,
$34.95.
Finding Home
Sandra Markle and Alan Marks
For young readers, the story
of a koala who survived a
brush fire.
Charlesbridge, 2008, 16 p., $15.95.
Trees, Truffles, and
Beasts: How Forests
Function
Chris Maser, Andrew W. Clar-
idge and James M. Trappe
An argument that simple
policies will not save com-
plex forests.
Rutgers Univ. Press, 2008, 280 p., $26.95 (paperback).
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