Fri 2 January 2009 3:54 AM
Dark Sun
Richard Rhodes' style of writing makes history a pleasure to read. Referring to the genre as "verity" instead of "nonfiction" (he grouses that "the oboe isn't a 'nonviolin'"), his frequent use of original quotes, asides, and interesting stories make a technical history read like a thriller.
The Making of the Atomic Bomb told the story of the Manhattan Project, and Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb at first seemed to be composed of leftover material. Much of the same time period was covered again, but this time with a broader scope to include the parallel effort in the Soviet Union, especially the extensive espionage that led to Joe-1, a carbon copy of the Fat Man design. Klaus Fuchs, working at Los Alamos, is well-known as a key player in the spy network, but many other colorful characters contributed to the information flow. The Lend-Lease program, which supplied war materiel to allies, inadvertently shipped hundreds of sealed black suitcases full of "diplomatic" paperwork directly to the U.S.S.R. Officer George Jordan was in charge of the staging area at Gore Field in Great Falls, Montana. One day in March 1943, the Soviet staff invited him to a restaurant and began letting the vodka flow (uncharacteristically) freely. After a few toasts, Jordan received a call from the field about a C-47 demanding clearance to take off. Suspicions aroused, he raced back to the aircraft, pushed past a Russian guard, and found "an expanse of black suitcases," each sealed with rope and red wax. He started slashing them open and found maps of industrial plants, naval intelligence, scientific journals, and "hundreds of photostats of what seemed to be military reports." Those suitcases were duly shipped, along with more later containing blueprints for factories and copies of hundreds of thousands of patents.
What's more, the pipeline carried material useful for atomic weapon development: exotic metals including uranium, millions of pounds of graphite used in reactors, and even a kilo of essential heavy water. Thus equipped, the Soviet atomic program tracked American progress with a lag of just a few years.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was our first serious flirtation with nuclear apocalypse, but the seeds had long been planted. Curtis LeMay, head of the Berlin Air Lift, returned to the U.S. to lead the Strategic Air Command. "Old Iron Pants," as the authoritative general was known, whipped the force into shape and eventually wrested control over most of the country's atomic arsenal. He itched to eliminate the Soviet threat before it could develop into a credible rival, and would inspire the George C. Scott character in "Dr. Strangelove" -- "Mr. President, we must not allow a mineshaft gap!" This entry in the book's index is telling:
Lemay, Curtis, use of atomic bombs urged by, 437, 438-40, 449, 454, 560, 563-64, 574-575, 576
In early the days before locks on warheads, LeMay had the capacity, if not authority, to launch an atomic attack if he deemed leadership in Washington incapable or incommunicado. When Soviets installed missiles in Cuba to counter American weapons in Turkey, he had his opportunity. While Kennedy and Khrushchev waged a war of telegrams, LeMay initiated a series of provocative gestures. Scrambled bombers flew beyond their customary turnaround points, one U-2 even strayed into Soviet airspace. When the SAC security level went to DefCon 2 (bringing the number of online nuclear weapons to 2,952), a radio message was broadcast in the clear announcing the alert and instructing wings to "review your plans for further action..." An Atlas ICBM was launched westward from Vandenberg Air Force Base according to a previously established test schedule which the SAC declined to postpone.
Somehow cooler heads prevailed and catastrophe was averted. LeMay was furious, claiming that "We lost!" Amazingly, when Kennedy had asked him how the Soviets would respond to the full attack on Cuba that he advocated, LeMay "assured him that there would be no reaction." While there have been other close calls since, this was likely as near as we have ever been to global thermonuclear war.
Somewhat reassuringly, Rhodes argues that no national leader could risk the damage, both political and retributive, that an atomic attack would invite. Somewhat less convincingly, he doubts that any nation would allow outlaws to develop atomic weapons within its borders. The somewhat surprising reality that atomic weapons have not been used since World War II gives some reason to hope.
The Making of the Atomic Bomb told the story of the Manhattan Project, and Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb at first seemed to be composed of leftover material. Much of the same time period was covered again, but this time with a broader scope to include the parallel effort in the Soviet Union, especially the extensive espionage that led to Joe-1, a carbon copy of the Fat Man design. Klaus Fuchs, working at Los Alamos, is well-known as a key player in the spy network, but many other colorful characters contributed to the information flow. The Lend-Lease program, which supplied war materiel to allies, inadvertently shipped hundreds of sealed black suitcases full of "diplomatic" paperwork directly to the U.S.S.R. Officer George Jordan was in charge of the staging area at Gore Field in Great Falls, Montana. One day in March 1943, the Soviet staff invited him to a restaurant and began letting the vodka flow (uncharacteristically) freely. After a few toasts, Jordan received a call from the field about a C-47 demanding clearance to take off. Suspicions aroused, he raced back to the aircraft, pushed past a Russian guard, and found "an expanse of black suitcases," each sealed with rope and red wax. He started slashing them open and found maps of industrial plants, naval intelligence, scientific journals, and "hundreds of photostats of what seemed to be military reports." Those suitcases were duly shipped, along with more later containing blueprints for factories and copies of hundreds of thousands of patents.
What's more, the pipeline carried material useful for atomic weapon development: exotic metals including uranium, millions of pounds of graphite used in reactors, and even a kilo of essential heavy water. Thus equipped, the Soviet atomic program tracked American progress with a lag of just a few years.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was our first serious flirtation with nuclear apocalypse, but the seeds had long been planted. Curtis LeMay, head of the Berlin Air Lift, returned to the U.S. to lead the Strategic Air Command. "Old Iron Pants," as the authoritative general was known, whipped the force into shape and eventually wrested control over most of the country's atomic arsenal. He itched to eliminate the Soviet threat before it could develop into a credible rival, and would inspire the George C. Scott character in "Dr. Strangelove" -- "Mr. President, we must not allow a mineshaft gap!" This entry in the book's index is telling:
Lemay, Curtis, use of atomic bombs urged by, 437, 438-40, 449, 454, 560, 563-64, 574-575, 576
In early the days before locks on warheads, LeMay had the capacity, if not authority, to launch an atomic attack if he deemed leadership in Washington incapable or incommunicado. When Soviets installed missiles in Cuba to counter American weapons in Turkey, he had his opportunity. While Kennedy and Khrushchev waged a war of telegrams, LeMay initiated a series of provocative gestures. Scrambled bombers flew beyond their customary turnaround points, one U-2 even strayed into Soviet airspace. When the SAC security level went to DefCon 2 (bringing the number of online nuclear weapons to 2,952), a radio message was broadcast in the clear announcing the alert and instructing wings to "review your plans for further action..." An Atlas ICBM was launched westward from Vandenberg Air Force Base according to a previously established test schedule which the SAC declined to postpone.
Somehow cooler heads prevailed and catastrophe was averted. LeMay was furious, claiming that "We lost!" Amazingly, when Kennedy had asked him how the Soviets would respond to the full attack on Cuba that he advocated, LeMay "assured him that there would be no reaction." While there have been other close calls since, this was likely as near as we have ever been to global thermonuclear war.
Somewhat reassuringly, Rhodes argues that no national leader could risk the damage, both political and retributive, that an atomic attack would invite. Somewhat less convincingly, he doubts that any nation would allow outlaws to develop atomic weapons within its borders. The somewhat surprising reality that atomic weapons have not been used since World War II gives some reason to hope.
Sat 20 December 2008 5:03 AM
Max Richter
He shows what can be done with a piano in two minutes with "The Twins."
Wed 17 December 2008 8:33 PM
4.4
Ulam lapsed into a coma. His wife, his doctors and his friends worried about brain damage. When he awoke a few days later, Ulam worried about it even more. "One morning the surgeon asked me what 13 plus 8 were. The fact that he asked such a question embarrassed me so much that I just shook my head. Then he asked what the square root of twenty was, and I replied: about 4.4. He kept silent, then I asked, 'Isn't it?' I remember Dr. Rainey laughing, visibly relieved, and saying, 'I don't know.'"Richard Rhodes, Dark Sun
Fri 5 December 2008 9:16 PM
Oil Wager: three years
On the third anniversary of the wager, the numbers are in my favor: a barrel of light sweet crude costs noticeably less than the 19.2 Big Macs which matched it in value on December 1, 2005.
Here are the annual figures so far:
With this level of volatility, ten years is probably the very minimum term in which any kind of long-range trend will be visible. For perspective, here's the chart showing how far we have to go.
Sources:
http://www.economist.com/markets/bigmac/
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/crude2.html
Here are the annual figures so far:
| Oil | Big Mac | ratio | |
| 12/1/2005 | $58.75 | $3.06 | 19.20 |
| 12/1/2006 | 63.43 | 3.10 | 20.46 |
| 12/3/2007 | 89.31 | 3.41 | 26.19 |
| 12/1/2008 | 49.28 | 3.57 | 13.80 |
With this level of volatility, ten years is probably the very minimum term in which any kind of long-range trend will be visible. For perspective, here's the chart showing how far we have to go.
Sources:
http://www.economist.com/markets/bigmac/
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/crude2.html
Mon 1 December 2008 10:12 PM
Energy "myths"
A Guardian article purports to list ten energy myths. But the text debunking each myth is so conditional, so hopeful, it makes me feel that the "myths" are in fact inconvenient truths: solar power is too expensive; wind power is too unreliable.
Judge for yourself: below are the extracted weasel words.
Myth 1: solar power is too expensive to be of much use
will be
may not even be
claims that
are investigating
are probably already
could get
would need
would get
Myth 2: wind power is too unreliable
could easily
would comfortably
would need
needs to
should be able to
must invest in
probably
must be
will also need to
talking of developing
will become cheaper
eventually
are also set to become
Myth 3: marine energy is a dead-end
may well be
could do
Myth 4: nuclear power is cheaper than other low-carbon sources of electricity
may be
appears to be
it looks as though
might also mean
it will be possible
hopes to be
Myth 5: electric cars are slow and ugly
already very close
can be
need to become
have committed to develop
will be powered
will provide
Myth 6: biofuels are always destructive to the environment
we will be able to
we will have to
Myth 7: climate change means we need more organic agriculture
numbers will rise to
is likely to
we need to
Most studies show
Myth 8: zero carbon homes are the best way of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions from buildings
is easily outweighed
should push
Myth 9: the most efficient power stations are big
changing fast
Within a few years
perhaps
Myth 10: all proposed solutions to climate change need to be hi-tech
it may be cheaper and more effective
many viable proposals
seem to
is developing
support would allow
Judge for yourself: below are the extracted weasel words.
Myth 1: solar power is too expensive to be of much use
will be
may not even be
claims that
are investigating
are probably already
could get
would need
would get
Myth 2: wind power is too unreliable
could easily
would comfortably
would need
needs to
should be able to
must invest in
probably
must be
will also need to
talking of developing
will become cheaper
eventually
are also set to become
Myth 3: marine energy is a dead-end
may well be
could do
Myth 4: nuclear power is cheaper than other low-carbon sources of electricity
may be
appears to be
it looks as though
might also mean
it will be possible
hopes to be
Myth 5: electric cars are slow and ugly
already very close
can be
need to become
have committed to develop
will be powered
will provide
Myth 6: biofuels are always destructive to the environment
we will be able to
we will have to
Myth 7: climate change means we need more organic agriculture
numbers will rise to
is likely to
we need to
Most studies show
Myth 8: zero carbon homes are the best way of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions from buildings
is easily outweighed
should push
Myth 9: the most efficient power stations are big
changing fast
Within a few years
perhaps
Myth 10: all proposed solutions to climate change need to be hi-tech
it may be cheaper and more effective
many viable proposals
seem to
is developing
support would allow
Fri 28 November 2008 11:55 PM
Cornucopia
My laziness in posting left me with quite a few new wgotten tracks, but after link rot just a few leftovers remain:
The Walkmen
Lady Midnight
I thought I was hearing Johnny Cash.
Mr Silla & Mongoose
Raggedypack
A weird, minimalist, noisy number.
Braids
Liver and Tan
Ten minutes of nice wallpaper spoiled by some women whining.
John Cage
Experiences No. 1
This was the first I had heard of John Cage. There are a few more items, but I would steer clear of anything with vocals.
The Walkmen
Lady Midnight
I thought I was hearing Johnny Cash.
Mr Silla & Mongoose
Raggedypack
A weird, minimalist, noisy number.
Braids
Liver and Tan
Ten minutes of nice wallpaper spoiled by some women whining.
John Cage
Experiences No. 1
This was the first I had heard of John Cage. There are a few more items, but I would steer clear of anything with vocals.
Thu 20 November 2008 9:00 AM
Divestment: Week 13
11/13: Sorted through some old photos and trashed a number of them.
11/14: Tossed two glass tea light holders that had been pressed into occasional service as shot glasses.
11/15: Gave The Omnivore's Dilemma to Gareth.
11/16: Junked three dusty flower-shaped float-in-water candles. Somehow, in the years since these were given to us, we haven't had a decorating need for burning, floating wax flowers.
11/17: Trashed some owner's manuals, including one for a DVD player and one for a wireless network card.
11/18: Trashed an old iPod battery.
11/19: Added In the Heart of the Sea to the bookshelf of La Madeleine in Reston.
11/14: Tossed two glass tea light holders that had been pressed into occasional service as shot glasses.
11/15: Gave The Omnivore's Dilemma to Gareth.
11/16: Junked three dusty flower-shaped float-in-water candles. Somehow, in the years since these were given to us, we haven't had a decorating need for burning, floating wax flowers.
11/17: Trashed some owner's manuals, including one for a DVD player and one for a wireless network card.
11/18: Trashed an old iPod battery.
11/19: Added In the Heart of the Sea to the bookshelf of La Madeleine in Reston.
Wed 12 November 2008 10:18 AM
Divestment: Week 12
Last Saturday I got rid of a book: Unamuno: A Philosophy of Tragedy by José Ferrater Mora (translated by Philip Silver). I found the title page in my pants pocket, where I had stashed it, knowing I would forget about the divestment.
I have never read a word by Miguel de Unamuno, yet I admire him, largely on the strength of Martin Gardner's reverence. Wikipedia tells an interesting story about a confrontation near the end of his life.
11/6: Trashed some magazines.
Smithsonian, September 1998, with a short version of Simon Winchester's great story about the OED as told in The Professor and the Madman.
(Link requires an e-mail address, but it isn't verified.)
Smithsonian, February 1999, with a cover story on John Singer Sargent and a luscious three-page centerfold of Madame X.
Smithsonian, July 1999. Don't quite know why I saved it.
The Washington Post Magazine, September 2003, in which Gene Weingarten explains the problem with the French.
11/7: More basement cleanup. Old letters, a performance review and some pay stubs, my selective service card from 1990, wire, light fixture installation instructions, and several plastic bags and a box containing these articles.
11/8: Sold a 1969 Kennedy half dollar on eBay.
11/9: Returned 24 hinges that won't fit our cabinets. Trashed a nasty straw hot pad that had disappeared into the spider-eggy void below some kitchen drawers.
11/10: Found a big brown panel with some thumb holes which was probably part of some cabinet once. It didn't look familiar, so I trashed it.
11/11: Tossed some baby clothes into the donation dumpster.
11/12: An empty tin of Djarum smokes was gathering dust in the basement. Actually it contained a single, unintentionally funny, panel cut from one of the serious soap opera newspaper comic strips. I meant to get rid of it and left it on the dashboard, but don't know where it ended up.
I have never read a word by Miguel de Unamuno, yet I admire him, largely on the strength of Martin Gardner's reverence. Wikipedia tells an interesting story about a confrontation near the end of his life.
11/6: Trashed some magazines.
Smithsonian, September 1998, with a short version of Simon Winchester's great story about the OED as told in The Professor and the Madman.
(Link requires an e-mail address, but it isn't verified.)
Smithsonian, February 1999, with a cover story on John Singer Sargent and a luscious three-page centerfold of Madame X.
Smithsonian, July 1999. Don't quite know why I saved it.
The Washington Post Magazine, September 2003, in which Gene Weingarten explains the problem with the French.
11/7: More basement cleanup. Old letters, a performance review and some pay stubs, my selective service card from 1990, wire, light fixture installation instructions, and several plastic bags and a box containing these articles.
11/8: Sold a 1969 Kennedy half dollar on eBay.
11/9: Returned 24 hinges that won't fit our cabinets. Trashed a nasty straw hot pad that had disappeared into the spider-eggy void below some kitchen drawers.
11/10: Found a big brown panel with some thumb holes which was probably part of some cabinet once. It didn't look familiar, so I trashed it.
11/11: Tossed some baby clothes into the donation dumpster.
11/12: An empty tin of Djarum smokes was gathering dust in the basement. Actually it contained a single, unintentionally funny, panel cut from one of the serious soap opera newspaper comic strips. I meant to get rid of it and left it on the dashboard, but don't know where it ended up.
Wed 5 November 2008 1:11 PM
Divestment: Week 11
10/30: The November 2001 issue of Atlantic, saved on the strength of two excellent articles now available online: The Crash of EgyptAir 990 and The Curse of the Sevso Silver. That and a recent, forgettable, issue of Paste Magazine trashed.
10/31: Pitched a mismatched Schlage doorknob picked up at ReStore for fifty cents.
11/1: I can't remember what I did Saturday. I must have gotten rid of some candy.
11/2: Some square mirrors, about a foot on a side, that I found somewhere.
11/3: A length of leftover PVC pipe from a sink installation.
11/4: A spray can of "belt conditioner" that I bought hoping to quiet a squeaky alternator belt. The internet will tell you that the solution is to get proper tension in the belt and this stuff just gunks up the pulleys.
11/5: Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook, left on top of the card reader of the parking garage. The next motorist picked it up and put it back, but after a few hours it had disappeared.
10/31: Pitched a mismatched Schlage doorknob picked up at ReStore for fifty cents.
11/1: I can't remember what I did Saturday. I must have gotten rid of some candy.
11/2: Some square mirrors, about a foot on a side, that I found somewhere.
11/3: A length of leftover PVC pipe from a sink installation.
11/4: A spray can of "belt conditioner" that I bought hoping to quiet a squeaky alternator belt. The internet will tell you that the solution is to get proper tension in the belt and this stuff just gunks up the pulleys.
11/5: Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook, left on top of the card reader of the parking garage. The next motorist picked it up and put it back, but after a few hours it had disappeared.
Wed 29 October 2008 5:25 PM
Divestment: Intermission
I took the week off. Incidental disposals during the time included the October issue of The Atlantic, which I finished before the September issue, and a pair of handles that I dug up from the basement and applied to bathroom cabinets.
Looking ahead, I suspect that 52 weeks will be a stretch. Thanks to my habit of occasional trips to McKay's, my book collection no longer has many easy candidates, though I could part with some college textbooks. The CD rack has some titles that haven't been played for years, which might get me through a week or two. After that, I'll be counting dust bunnies from under the fridge.
Looking ahead, I suspect that 52 weeks will be a stretch. Thanks to my habit of occasional trips to McKay's, my book collection no longer has many easy candidates, though I could part with some college textbooks. The CD rack has some titles that haven't been played for years, which might get me through a week or two. After that, I'll be counting dust bunnies from under the fridge.
