MANIAC

The most dangerous scientific invention of the 20th century was the atomic bomb, now it is being followed by artificial intelligence. If we follow the stories of these two discoveries far enough into the past, we find that they intersect in the person of John von Neumann, who is often called the smartest man who ever lived.

The Hungarian von Neumann was a child prodigy whose talent terrified people. His discoveries contributed to the development of quantum mechanics and genetics. He founded game theory, built the first programmable computer, which was named MANIAC, and through his participation in Oppenheimer' s Manhattan Project, he reached the foundations of artificial intelligence.

Similar to his first work, Terrible Vertigo, Labatut gives us a glimpse into the mind of a man whose scientific discoveries move humanity forward, but at the same time bring with them terrifying consequences that cannot be foreseen. A gripping story combining fact and fiction, it confronts readers with the deepest questions we face as a species.