[ReignOfError]

There were some sharper German, actually Prussian scientists who came here after the war.

WvB wasn't the best scientist on the project; neither was Robert Oppenheimer. Where they both excelled was at recruiting people smarter than them, organizing their efforts, and selling ideas that seemed pretty out-there at the time to the politicians who provided their funding.

[grey_whiskers]

WvB wasn't the best scientist on the project; neither was Robert Oppenheimer. Where they both excelled was at recruiting people smarter than them

Tell you what. In twenty-five words or less, you describe the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.

In twenty-five more words, describe why it is so useful.

Not too many smarter than Oppenheimer--Feynman, Landau, Gell-Mann.

Cheers!