Spencer
Weart, in Physics Today (June 19881, 335 East
45th St., New York, N.Y. 10017.
The "mad scientist," a sinister figure who lives to manipulate, create, or destroy life, is a surprisingly persistent archetype, still appearing in every- thing from children's TV cartoon programs to debates over genetic engi- neering. But where did this archetype originate? Weart, a historian at the American Institute of Physics, traces the origin of the mad scientist phe- nomenon to the 18th century.
Austria's...