Jeremy Bernstein – Physicists on Wall Street

JEREMY BERNSTEIN – PHYSICISTS ON WALL STREET

Many of the world’s most renowned physicists and other scientists have been in contact with Jeremy Bernstein over the years. He looks at their work, their personal relationships, their motives, and their contributions in this collection of essays. He gives important insights into their lives and work, and questions their decisions, even though he didn’t know them personally. In the first three essays, Professor Bernstein looks at economic theory and how some physicists who developed interesting economic models based on derivatives and hedge funds almost led to the country into bankruptcy. There is almost nothing written about a visit to Poland by the great Heisenberg during the Nazi era. Essays on ancient languages and a nuclear weapons program in South Africa are included. An ill-conceived manned spaceship to be powered by an atomic bomb was being developed by some of the country’s most powerful intellectuals. The project was never started. It’s like looking in the mind of a genius who has a lot of interests and interesting experiences. Bernstein has worked and played with some of the finest minds in the world. He has laughed at them and mourned with them. His wit and analysis make for a great read.

FROM THE BACK COVER

Many of the world’s most renowned physicists and other scientists have been in contact with Jeremy Bernstein over the years. He looks at their work, their personal relationships, their motives, and their contributions in this collection of essays. He gives important insights into their lives and work, and questions their decisions, even though he didn’t know them personally.

In the first three essays, Professor Bernstein looks at economic theory and how some physicists who developed interesting economic models based on derivatives and hedge funds almost led to the country into bankruptcy. There is almost nothing written about a visit to Poland by the great Heisenberg during the Nazi era.

There are essays on ancient languages and a nuclear weapons program in South Africa. An ill-conceived manned spaceship to be powered by an atomic bomb was being developed by some of the country’s most powerful intellectuals. The project never got off the ground.

It’s like looking in the mind of a genius who has a lot of interests and interesting experiences. Bernstein has worked with and played with some of the finest minds in the world. He has laughed at them and mourned with them. You can’t put down his sharp wit and analysis.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bernstein has been the science essayist for the New Yorker for the past 30 years. He has written for Scientific American and The Atlantic Monthly. Secrets of the Old One: Einstein, 1905 is one of the essays he wrote that was collected in A Theory for Everything.