Jewish physics: 'The Man Who Broke Reality' spotlights Nazi-defying scientist Niels Bohr - review

A review of Philip Ball's biography 'The Man Who Broke Reality' about physicist Niels Bohr, highlighting his humanitarian efforts to help Jewish scientists flee Nazism, his quantum mechanics discoveries, and his escape from Nazi-occupied Denmark to work at Los Alamos.

Colin Shindler reviews Philip Ball's biography 'The Man Who Broke Reality,' which examines the life of physicist Niels Bohr. The review highlights Bohr's role as a humanitarian who helped Jewish colleagues escape Nazism, his development of quantum theory, and his complex relationship with German physicist Werner Heisenberg during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. Bohr, of Jewish origin but raised Lutheran, was accused by Nazis of promoting 'Jewish physics.' The biography covers Bohr's escape to Sweden and later work at Los Alamos under the pseudonym Nicholas Baker, as well as his post-war efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation. The review notes that Ball's book reveals Bohr as both a scientific genius and a great humanitarian.