Atomic Fragments A Daughter's Questions Author:Mary Palevsky More than most of us, Mary Palevsky needed to come to terms with the moral complexities of the atomic bomb: Her parents worked on its development during World War II and were profoundly changed by that experience. After they died, unanswered questions sent their daughter on a search for understanding. This compelling, sometimes heart-wre... more »nching chronicle is the story of that quest. It takes her, and us, on a journey into the minds, memories, and emotions of the bomb builders. Scientists Hans Bethe, Edward Teller, Joseph Rotblat, Herbert York, Philip Morrison, and Robert Wilson, and philosopher David Hawkins responded to Palevsky's personal approach in a way that dramatically expands their previously published statements. Because of her skill and passion as an interlocutor, we see these men, their times, and their associates and experiences come alive as they find themselves reinterpreting and reexamining their own decisions and debating within themselves the complex issues raised by the bomb. The author herself, seeking to comprehend the widely differing ways in which individual scientists made choices about the bomb and made sense of their work, deeply reconsiders those questions of commitment and conscience her parents faced. In personal vignettes that complement the interviews, she captures other remembrances of the bomb through commemorative events and chance encounters with people who were "there." Her concluding chapter reframes the crucial moral questions in terms that show the questions themselves to be the abiding legacy we all share. This beautifully written book bridges generations to make its readers participants in the ongoing dialogue about science and philosophy, war and peace. "The author's quest for insight into her parents' lives has genuine emotional appeal. She is sensitive and careful--ready to change her mind, reshape her approach. The result is a narrative that is honest and suspenseful. We know these questions will not have answers, but we remain fascinated with the attempt to resolve them." (Ruth Lewin Sime, author of Lise Meitner: A Life in Physics) "An eloquent volume. Mary Palevsky has stimulated the greatest of the bomb builders to think and speak in new ways about the nuclear weapons they created and their meaning for mankind." (Priscilla Johnson McMillan, Davis Center, Harvard University )« less