Harold C. Urey (1893-1981), whose discoveries lie at the foundation of
modern science, was one of the most famous American scientists of the
twentieth century. Born in rural Indiana, his evolution from small-town
farm boy to scientific celebrity made him a symbol and spokesman for
American scientific authority. Because he rose to fame alongside the
prestige of American science, the story of his life reflects broader
changes in the social and intellectual landscape of twentieth-century
America. In this, the first ever biography of the chemist, Matthew
Shindell shines new light on Urey's struggles and achievements in a
thoughtful exploration of the science, politics, and society of the Cold
War era.
From Urey's orthodox religious upbringing to his death in 1981, Shindell
follows the scientist through nearly a century of American history: his
discovery of deuterium and heavy water earned him the Nobel Prize in
1934, his work on the Manhattan Project helped usher in the atomic age,
he initiated a generation of American scientists into the world of
quantum physics and chemistry, and he took on the origin of the Moon in
NASA's lunar exploration program. Despite his success, however, Urey had
difficulty navigating the nuclear age. In later years he lived in the
shadow of the bomb he helped create, plagued by the uncertainties
unleashed by the rise of American science and unable to reconcile the
consequences of scientific progress with the morality of religion.
Tracing Urey's life through two world wars and the Cold War not only
conveys the complex historical relationship between science and religion
in the twentieth century, but it also illustrates how these complexities
spilled over into the early days of space science. More than a life
story, this book immerses readers in the trials and triumphs of an
extraordinary man and his extraordinary times.
