Von Nuemann is one of those names that when ever it comes up I sarcastically mentally note "John f***ing Neumann, AGAIN!". It's happened so many times in my studies that I think he might be the most important scientist to have ever lived.
He's also the inspiration for one of favorite characters in fiction, Sherkaner Underhill from A Deepness In The Sky*. :)
I wouldn't be surprised if he's at least partially an inspiration for the Dr. Felix Hoenikker character in Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle.
Vonnegut's inspiration was Nobel prize winner Irving Langmuir [1], apparently.
In my opinion, Hoenikker is just too amoral and aloof to really match any one of the Manhattan Project scientists. Teller (who suggested using atomic weapons to excavate harbours) and Fermi (who before the Trinity test took bets on whether the bomb would light the atmosphere on fire) are maybe the closest contenders.
lwarfield · · focus · HN ↗
He's also the inspiration for one of favorite characters in fiction, Sherkaner Underhill from A Deepness In The Sky*. :)
bmitc · · focus · HN ↗
atombender · · focus · HN ↗
In my opinion, Hoenikker is just too amoral and aloof to really match any one of the Manhattan Project scientists. Teller (who suggested using atomic weapons to excavate harbours) and Fermi (who before the Trinity test took bets on whether the bomb would light the atmosphere on fire) are maybe the closest contenders.
[1] <a href="https://gizmodo.com/the-real-life-scientist-who-inspired-kurt-vonneguts-ca-1447276268" rel="nofollow">https://gizmodo.com/the-real-life-scientist-who-inspired-kur...
bmitc · · focus · HN ↗
Von Neumann was himself pretty pro atomic bomb, though, and wanted to preemptively bomb the Soviet Union.