John Von Neumann and Norbert Wiener: From Mathematics to the Technologies of Life and Death

Steve J. Heims' decision to write a twin biography??John von Neumann and Norbert Wiener: From Mathematics to the Technologies of Life and Death??in 1980 was unusual, but in this case, it made sense. The two men shared a vaguely similar background, both of Central European Jewish heritage, one the son immigrants and the other an immigrant himself. They were near in age and were considered, first, child prodigies, and then as adults, geniuses. But most importantly, they worked in the same field, where the line between mathematics and the sciences, particularly physics, begins to blur. The research and experiments both did were eventually put to practical, material uses, most notably in weaponry and the nascent field of computer science. Though hardly close friends, they knew each other, respected each other?s work, and corresponded, sharing information about their discoveries. But there were distinct differences between the two men, too, which is what Heims is particularly interested in exploring. He saw them as examples of the dichotomies of purpose facing all post-war (and perhaps pre-war) scientists, and in comparing the lives of Wiener and von Neuman Heims makes his own stand regarding the scientific ethos, and seems to urge readers to do the same. Both men used their mathematical skills to develop weapons for the U.S. during World War II: Wiener helped advance anti-aircraft guns for the National Defense Research Committee, which, in turn, led him to advances in cybernetics. Meanwhile, von Neumann was deeply involved with the Manhattan Project, and continued research in nuclear weaponry after the war and advised the government on advances in defense technology. He expressed no moral qualms about his work, nor did he seem zealous about its need. Instead, Heims depicts him as the embodiment of classic Enlightenment scientific values, maintaining complete value neutrality about where the science might lead and full of faith in human reason and progress. In light of the atomic bomb drops on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, however, Wiener took a completely different stance. He became a pacifist after the war and refused to perform any further military work. He believed scientists had to apply social criteria to their work and while he continued to publish papers and books on pure science and mathematics, especially the continued development of cybernetics, he also published more philosophical treatises about the moral duties of scientists. He became somewhat isolated from the community of scientists over the issue, at least partly by his own choice. Heims tells us which philosophy he subscribes to. This copy is a first edition, first printing. The red cloth binding is in excellent condition, with only light fading along the edges. The text block is clean and bright, with just a small area of light soiling at the lower fore-edge and a tiny faint stain to the top edge near the spine. Pages are otherwise pristine, and both front and rear endpapers are unmarked. No writing or previous ownership marks. The binding remains tight and square. The dust jacket shows significant wear, particularly at the top of the spine, where there are several tears. One tear extends from the top of the rear spine fold down approximately 2 1/2 inches; another at the right fold measures about 1 1/2 inches. A third tear branches from the midpoint of the latter, angling toward the upper front panel for about 1/2 inch, leaving a small triangular section partially detached but present. There is also a 1/4-inch tear at the top of the front panel fold, and several small tears at the bottom edge, especially near the spine. Minor areas of lamination loss reveal the white paper underneath. Photos are forthcoming, or available upon request.…