Martians of Science

The Martians of Science is the engaging story of five little-known Hungarian physicists who transformed 20th century science. They emigrated to the United States from Hungary in the 1930's and were important contributors to experiments such as the Manhattan Project. Variously recognized with the National Medal for Science, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Nobel Prize for physics, these five remained close friends throughout their lives. Through decades of political and
social upheaval, they held onto their Hungarian identities and were fiercely opinionated and politically active reactionaries against the fascism and anti-Semitism with which they had grown up. Based on the author's personal relationships with the subjects and many interviews with their contemporaries,
The Martians of Science is an exhaustively researched, fascinating story of an important era in history: the history of the Cold War, political history, American history, Hungarian history, and scientific history.

(Oxford)

Bli först med att recensera och betygsätt boken Martians of Science - du kan vinna 200 kr varje månad i tävlingen "Månadens recension".

"What a story! Five brilliant Jewish-Hungarian kids burst out of the great secondary schools of Hungary, learn their physics in Germany, and give their all to America in WWII Istvan Hargittai, a Jewish Hungarian like his heroes, tells the remarkable story of five immigrants of vastly different politics, without whom American science (and the world) would not be the same."--Roald Hoffman, Nobel Laureate, Ithaca, New York<br> "Istvan Hargittai traces the turbulent lives of five uniquely creative scientists who survived, succeeded, and changed the world."--Arno Penzias, Nobel laureate, San Francisco<br> "This is an important story that needs to be told, and Hargittai tells it well."--Nature<br> "Hargittai's book is subtle and thoughtful."--Physics Today<br> Charlie Munger of WESCO Financial Corporation recommended this book at the 2007 WESCO Annual Meeting: "It is a hell of a book about five Hungarian physicists driven to the U.S. by Hitler, who contributed much to science here. I can't recommend it enough."--Charlie Munger<br> "fascinating and informative"--Chemical Heritage<br>

(Oxford)

Introduction; 1. Arrival and Departure; 2. Turning Points in Germany; 3. Second Transition: to the United States; 4. To protect and defend: World War II; 5. To Deter: Cold War; 6. Being Martian; Epilogue; Greatness in Science; Had They Lived; Conclusion; Appendix: Quotable Martians; Notes; Select Bibliography; Annotated Name Index; Subject Index

(Oxford)