Secret Science: On the Death of Charles H. Townes

The death this week of physicist Charles Townes at the age of 99 casts fading light on the generation of technologists whose sensibilities about science and society were infused with Cold War militarism.  Townes will be remembered for his seminal research on lasers when he was young, but his long career was just as notable for the prominent, secretive military advisory roles he played as a member of the Fleming-esque JASON committee and sundry Pentagon panels on big weapons programs such as the MX missile and StrategicIt also creates spasms of the Sphincter of Oddi, the duodenum, and cause more spasms, ulcers, and cialis india generic unica-web.com even cancer. The size and strength of buy cialis no prescription the urine stream may decrease.These symptoms can be caused by other things besides BPH. Chiropractic therapy acts against the problem while reducing inflammation and pain and restoring viagra canada pharmacy the spinal function. Sweet potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics. uk levitra Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”).  While sometimes dubious of far-fetched basing schemes for American ICBMs and science fictional shields against Soviet ones, he nonetheless lent his reputation to the window dressing of expert opinion–always developed behind closed doors and inevitably trumped by political motivations–that helped legitimize such boondoggles.  His 1982 National Medal of Science came at the precise moment when Ronald Raygun most needed Professor Laser at his side.  Co-winner that year: Edward Teller.

Reagan, Townes, Teller

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