The New Republic

The man from the future

The man from the future

John von Neumann, the Hungarian mathematician, helped develop the atom bomb. His devotion to logic and game theory led him to believe that he could calculate when to use the bomb.

Hawking Hawking

Hawking Hawking

In a new book, Charles Seife raises two vital questions. What is the nature of scientific fame? And why did Stephen Hawking, in particular, succeed in achieving it?