Podcast appearances and mentions of william lanouette

In prior episodes, I have interviewed many people about the history of physics and physics-adjacent topics such as nuclear disarmament. Many of the physicists we have discussed also made forays into biology. Today I explore this transition of physicists working in biology with William Lanouette. Bill is a writer and public policy analyst who has specialized in the history of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons.

In episode 77, I interviewed William Lanouette about Leo Szilard's work on the atom bomb, with a discussion of the roles that Szilard played until the end of World War II. Today, in part two of my interview with Bill, we focus on Szilard's achievements after the war. Bill is a writer and public policy analyst who has specialized in the history of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. He received an A.B. in English with a minor in Philosophy at Fordham College in 1963, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science at the London School of Economics and the University of London in 1966 and 1973, respectively. Bill then worked as a journalist for Newsweek, The National Observer, and National Journal, and he was the Washington Correspondent for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. He has also written for The Atlantic, The Economist, Scientific American, The New York Herald Tribune, The Washington Post, and many other outlets. Bill also worked as a Senior Analyst for Energy and Science Issues at the US Government Accountability Office. Bill's first book was Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard, the Man Behind the Bomb, published by Scribner's in 1992, with later editions published by the University of Chicago Press and Skyhorse Publications. Bill also published, in 2021, The Triumph of the Amateurs: The Rise, Ruin, and Banishment of Professional Rowing in The Gilded Age.

Perhaps the most overlooked scientist who played critical roles in the development of the atomic bomb was Leo Szilard. With us to explore Szilard's numerous contributions to science and society is William Lanouette. Bill is a writer and public policy analyst who has specialized in the history of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. He received an A.B. in English with a minor in Philosophy at Fordham College in 1963, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science at the London School of Economics and the University of London in 1966 and 1973, respectively. Bill then worked as a journalist for Newsweek, The National Observer, and National Journal, and he was the Washington Correspondent for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. He has also written for The Atlantic, The Economist, Scientific American, The New York Herald Tribune, The Washington Post, and many other outlets. Bill also worked as a Senior Analyst for Energy and Science Issues at the US Government Accountability Office. Bill's first book was Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard, the Man Behind the Bomb, published by Scribner's in 1992, with later editions published by the University of Chicago Press and Skyhorse Publications. Bill also published, in 2021, The Triumph of the Amateurs: The Rise, Ruin, and Banishment of Professional Rowing in The Gilded Age. In this episode, we discuss all things Szilard: the man, the war, the bomb, the innovations, the collaborations, the accusations of espionage, the conflicts, and even the Martians.

Today's guest is https://www.bluesforthemuse.com/ (Stephen Altman) Stephen is an author with a hankering for the old world and poetry. He fell so deeply in love with poetry from John Keats that he went to Rome to visit his grave where he was inspired to write an entire novel… in verse. Blues for the Muse: Visiting the grave of the immortal Romantic poet John Keats, Hollywood smoothie Tom Jerome spies the Woman in the Azure Dress—the muse he's been longing for. But Viña Fumento is married to the mob and Jerome has his work cut out for him. Blues for the Muse is a hilarious meditation on life, love, and movie magic, all told in rhymes that go down smoother than a glass of Spumante. Website: https://www.bluesforthemuse.com/ (https://www.bluesforthemuse.com/) A ROMANCE IN ROME... Blues for the Muse, a comedy-adventure set in modern-day Rome, is an unpredictable blend of film-noir danger, roller-coaster romance and sweet depths of feeling, with an aging, risk-taking hero who should know better and a fetching Italian siren who definitely does. The story touches chords of love and crime and the redemptive power of art, all done in sonnets that are a breeze to read and chocked with pleasures. “With the grace of Keats—whose poetic presence gives this volume its lively force—Altman whips lusty and literate sonnets into a sweeping, scary, and sensational masterpiece!” – William Lanouette, author of The Triumph of the Amateurs and Genius in the Shadows. The story opens and closes in the Roman cemetery where John Keats is buried. In between, it features Italian mobsters and American conmen, Hollywood moviemaking, an unforgettable femme fatale, a high-stakes love affair, concealed identities and unanticipated revelations, the eternal glories of Rome and—almost magically—the presiding spirit of the young English poet who wrote “Bright Star.” Blues for the Muse is a hilarious meditation on life, love, and movie magic, told in whip-smart rhymes that will make you smile with surprise and delight. Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BTQRHVD (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BTQRHVD)

Aired: 10/25/2014 7 PM:: Richard and Joe are joined din studio by writer and public policy analyst at the firm Consultant, William Lanouette

The UC San Diego Library Channel presents a talk by William Lanouette, author of “Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard.” Lanouette explains how Szilard’s fear of German dominance of nuclear research in the 1930’s inspired the Manhattan Project, which led to the creation of the atomic bomb used by the United States in World War II. Szilard could see its potential for mass destruction in the wrong hands and became a strong advocate for nuclear arms control and disarmament. Szilard spent his final days as a founding member of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego. Series: "Library Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 28013]

The UC San Diego Library Channel presents a talk by William Lanouette, author of “Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard.” Lanouette explains how Szilard’s fear of German dominance of nuclear research in the 1930’s inspired the Manhattan Project, which led to the creation of the atomic bomb used by the United States in World War II. Szilard could see its potential for mass destruction in the wrong hands and became a strong advocate for nuclear arms control and disarmament. Szilard spent his final days as a founding member of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego. Series: "Library Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 28013]

The UC San Diego Library Channel presents a talk by William Lanouette, author of “Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard.” Lanouette explains how Szilard’s fear of German dominance of nuclear research in the 1930’s inspired the Manhattan Project, which led to the creation of the atomic bomb used by the United States in World War II. Szilard could see its potential for mass destruction in the wrong hands and became a strong advocate for nuclear arms control and disarmament. Szilard spent his final days as a founding member of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego. Series: "Library Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 28013]

The UC San Diego Library Channel presents a talk by William Lanouette, author of “Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard.” Lanouette explains how Szilard’s fear of German dominance of nuclear research in the 1930’s inspired the Manhattan Project, which led to the creation of the atomic bomb used by the United States in World War II. Szilard could see its potential for mass destruction in the wrong hands and became a strong advocate for nuclear arms control and disarmament. Szilard spent his final days as a founding member of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego. Series: "Library Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 28013]

In this episode, the first of a two-part interview with anthropologist Carel Van Schaik about the role of culture in boosting intelligence in animals; historian and writer William Lanouette discusses an upcoming History Channel program about the roles of Einstein and Leo Szilard in the beginning of the nuclear age; and Scientific American editor-in-chief John Rennie reports on a recent sustainable development conference. Plus, test your knowledge about some recent science in the news.