Physics for Future Presidents.

• Author: Maniloff, Peter

Physics for Future Presidents, by RICHARD MULLER. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009) 384 pages. ISBN: 978-0-39333-711-2. Paperback.

Richard Muller's Physics for Future Presidents is an absolute tour de force. Muller provides clear, approachable discussions of the physics of a variety of issues. His chapters on energy supply, climate change, and nuclear weapons are particularly strong, while chapters on the science of terrorist attack tools and space also inform the reader's (or President's) ability to meaningfully understand the science that shapes public policy. Closing each section with a "Presidential Summary" is a particularly nice device.

Muller starts strong with a discussion of the physics behind the terrible tragedy of September 11. Jet fuel is tremendously energy dense and was able to deliver some of this energy to the World Trade Center support columns by burning--enough to soften the support columns to the point of collapse. It is because of this energy density that oil is such a valuable source of fuel. (Muller makes use of his charming tone and ability to find relatable examples by comparing the energy density of gasoline to chocolate chip cookies and steak. Oil has more energy than either. )

Similarly, Muller's chapters on nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and radiation are marvelous. One section lays out various types of nuclear reactors, how they work, and (importantly for Presidents and the public) why American nuclear reactors cannot explode like nuclear weapons. Another discusses the design and manufacturing difficulties in building different types of nuclear weapons, where a clandestine nuclear weapons program would be likely to struggle, and what observable signals such a nuclear weapons program would send.

A running theme of Muller's explanations is to contextualize risk, often by comparing an expected number of fatalities to a baseline. For example, potential cancer deaths induced by a radioactivity incident are compared to the general population's cancer rate, while radiation and hazards from the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage are compared to the radioactivity level of the Colorado River (which flows through uranium-rich areas). The implication is that the public is not concerned about naturally occurring radiation and thus should not be concerned by smaller hazards inherent in using nuclear power.

The one pervasive shortcoming through the book is that Muller gives short shrift to social science...