Imaginary Weapons : A Journey Through the Pentagon's Scientific Underworld

by Weinberger, Sharon

• ISBN13: 9781560258490
• ISBN10: 1560258497
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-05-15
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

"In Imaginary Weapons, Sharon Weinberger takes us on a wild ride through the hidden underworld of official fringe science in America. From antimatter weapons to psychic warriors, Weinberger shows that the U.S. government is increasingly susceptible to outlandish claims. But the isomer weapon - a futuristic device that would rival the power of a nuclear bomb - may be the strangest case of them all." "Imaginary Weapons provides a sometimes darkly humorous take on a more serious subject: the decline of scientific expertise among U.S. national security agencies and the government's increasing susceptibility to hyped claims about weapons of mass destruction."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Sharon Weinberger writes regularly for the Washington Post magazine and Slate. She has just been appointed the editor in chief of Defense Technology International, a new magazine that covers a full range of defense technologies. Previously she was a foreign service officer in the State Dept., a defense reporter for Aviation Week Group's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, and a defense research analyst for Systems Planning Corporation.

Table of Contents

CAST OF CHARACTERS	vii
PROLOGUE: The Gateway	xv
1 Mickey Mouse's Hand Grenade	1	(10)
2 From Romania with Love	11	(12)
3 The Secret Life of the Isomer Weapon	23	(16)
4 Deep in the Heart of Los Alamos	39	(12)
5 The Dental X-ray Goes to War	51	(14)
6 Do You Believe in Isomers?	65	(18)
7 Hafnium Comes to Washington	83	(12)
8 Scary Things Come in Small Packages	95	(34)
9 Isomers Hit Prime Time	129	(8)
10 A Bomb and a Prayer	137	(22)
11 The Mother of All Dirty Bombs	159	(32)
12 Fringe Science Takes Flight	191	(26)
13 Welcome to the Far Side	217	(12)
14 Boom or Bust	229	(22)
EPILOGUE: A Hafnium Ending	251	(16)
AUTHOR'S NOTE	267	(3)
INDEX	270