The Jasons : the secret history of science's postwar elite
They call themselves Jason. Their group is a child of the Cold War, and they include scientific stars like Freeman Dyson and Murray Gell-Mann. They've inherited a mission from the Manhattan Project--to counsel the government on the military uses of pure science--and have gathered every summer since 1960 to solve classified problems for the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. Aside from a brief media firestorm during the Vietnam War, they've worked in secrecy with unparalleled freedom. The Jasons have been responsible for breakthroughs ranging from the electronic battlefield to the "Star Wars" missile defense technologies to the national system for predicting global climate. But their mission to keep a vigil over applied science has led them into both moral dilemmas and political stews. Here, science writer Finkbeiner reveals the critical advances--and the unintended consequences--of the Jasons' shadowy work as well as the personalities of the Jasons themselves.--From publisher description
紙書籍, English, 2006
Viking, New York, 2006