As Fred Kaplan explained in his history of wartime science, “It was a war in which the talents of scientists were exploited to an unprecedented, almost extravagant degree.” There were urgent questions that needed answers, and the scientifically literate were uniquely equipped to answer them. Kaplan cataloged just a few: How many tons of explosive force must a bomb release to create a certain amount of damage to certain types of targets? In what sorts of formation should bombers fly? Should an airplane be heavily armored or should it be stripped of defenses so it can fly faster? At what depths
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