I recently finished reading a stellar, and thought-provoking biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. His life story was one of unparalleled triumphs, that existed, in later years, alongside tragedies like Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the very personal tragedy of the persecution he faced during the Red Scare of the early 1950s. He was, if you aren’t familiar with his life-story, a fascinating individual on both personal and professional levels. His facility with, and love of literature, languages and poetry in particular, in addition to his prodigious scientific abilities make him one of those rare scientists who permeated the public consciousness with their charisma, leadership and ability to communicate with clarity and concision. I do believe that there are many lessons to be taken from his life, and this particular biography, with respect to recent events (including the new Bush space policy), but I’ll divert first to ponder a bit the very nature of biographies. (more…)