Imaginary Weapons: A Journey Through the Pentagon's Scientific Underworld

by Sharon Weinberger

Paper Book, 2006

Status

Available

Call number

355.070973

Publication

Nation Books (2006), Hardcover, 300 pages

Description

The story of how a lunatic fringe science project became favored by Rumsfeld's Pentagon.

User reviews

LibraryThing member craigim
Weinberger traces the politics of an unorthodox bit of physics which proponents claim could lead to a new superweapon, and detractors say violates the laws of physics.

With a background in nuclear and physical chemistry as well as physics, I fall firmly in the later camp. As laid out in the book,
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the people who make funding decisions in the Pentagon do not share that education, and rely on Jack D. Ripper types whose paranoia lead them to chase fringe science like ESP, teleportation, and cold fusion.

The book does an excellent job of tracing the political machinations behind the controversial program. The only reason I rated it down was that it was obvious that she had not gotten a physicist to look over her manuscript, and many of her explanations of the physics were just wrong enough to be grating. The average reader will undoubtedly cruise through these passages (which are few) without notice.
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Language

Physical description

300 p.; 8.5 inches

ISBN

1560258497 / 9781560258490
Page: 0.8475 seconds