Theoretical scientists who excel in their field rarely have time or interest for policy making; those who take an active role in the public arena are seldom preeminent in their discipline. Wolfgang Panofsky is a brilliant exception. His career has been distinguished both by genius in the laboratory and by energetic service in the public sphere.At the same time that Panofsky conducted pioneering research in high-energy physics, he advised presidents from Eisenhower to Carter on science policy and arms control. While a leader in accelerator technology and design, he took part in some of the earliest nuclear weapons test ban discussions with the former USSR. Throughout his long career, he has maintained a position at the forefront of theoretical research while contributing to the most important public discussions of the day.Particles and Policy is a wide-ranging collection of the best of Panofsky's nontechnical writings on science and public policy. All selections feature his characteristic clarity of thought and expression. Initial chapters discuss Dr. Panofsky's early work with Luis Alvarez on elementary particle physics and detail his development of proton and nuclear linear accelerators at Berkeley and Stanford. Panofsky delves into crucial and current questions in high-energy physics, particle substructures, and special relativity.Particles and Policy then turns to consider the conflicts between the drives of theoretical science and the constraints of public policy. What are the technical - and social - limits impinging upon the development of electron colliders and other large science projects? Should scientific endeavors be pursued regardless of social costs? Panofsky tackles these questions in several illuminating chapters based upon his long personal experience with linear accelerator projects.Several essays address Panofsky's lifelong concern with nuclear weapons and arms control. An insider in the government circles that guided policy, Panofsky reveals the way that perceptions, rather than technical realities, drive the arms race; dissects the philosophical underpinnings of nuclear buildup; and shatters the myth that nuclear weapons can be effective in a tactical sense.In a concluding chapter, "Science Advice to the President," Panofsky looks back on his challenging - and often contentious - years as a member of the President's Science Advisory Committee and delivers suggestions for making such service more effective in the future.From his early participation in the Trinity Project to his 25-year stewardship of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Wolfgang Panofsky has pursued a rare path of discovery and engagement. Particles and Policy is a bracing anthology of the contributions, challenges, concerns, and successes of this scientist and citizen. Read Less