Name: Robin
Status: Educator
Grade: 9-12
Location: N/A
Country: United States
Date: Spring 2010
Question:
I was reading the John Nash biography "A Beautiful Mind" and the
author states that John von Neumann was toying with the idea of coloring
Earth's poles blue to increase global temperatures. I have looked for
another credible reference to this and could not find any. I was wondering
if this was indeed true, and if it is, why would von Neumann be interested
in raising global temperatures?
Replies:
John von Neumann, a brilliant theoretical physicist in the Manhattan Project
[to the student, look that up] , and was pretty much
credited as the "father" of the hydrogen bomb. Before rash judgment, one has
to social climate of the times. I am not acquainted with the particular
reference to "painting the poles", but it would not be out of character for
von Neumann. Remember, von Neumann was a "problem solver". No problem was
too large for his mind, regardless of whether or not he had any special
training in the particular in the area.
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