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the inner workings of the academic and scientific establishments. At last Asimov had turned to writing science fiction out of his own experience, which he had not done in earlier stories. His description of the discovery of plutonium-186 drew not only upon his extensive research into and writing about science, but surely, for characters as well as events, upon his experiences within the academic world.
Hallam, for instance, pushes his investigation into the metal that has changed within the reagent bottle on his desk because he had said, when he discovered it, "That's not the tungsten," and his colleague across the hall, a more highly regarded young scientist named Benjamin Allan Denison, had challenged him with, "How would you know?" If Hallam had not been pushed, the plutonium might simply have become more radioactive until it exploded with catastrophic results. Later in Lamont's investigation, he discovers that official accounts credit Hallam with speculations about the origin of the plutonium although others had actually made the remarks. Hallam, however, headed the team to investigate the plutonium, and Hallam received the acclaim and the power.
Later Asimov described a similar sequence of events. Lamont is set in opposition to Hallam by Hallam's reaction to his innocent suggestion about the superiority of the para-men, and again when Lamont reaches his inspiration about the Pump after a colleague remarked that Hallam was untouchable "as long as the Electron Pump is the key to human paradise." Still later Asimov describes the process of discovery as Lamont follows the elusive train of thought that begins with "what was the catch to the Electron Pump?" and ends with the gradual equalization of natural law: "Within a month he had that feeling that every scientist recognizes the endless click-click as unexpected pieces fall into place, as annoying anomalies become anomalous no more It was the feel of Truth." Asimov seems to be saying that discoveries begin with accidents, but that those accidents happen to people who are prepared by education and temperament and ability to recognize them when they occur and to follow them to their ultimate meanings.
The characters are more realistic than Asimov customarily presented. In fact, the novel offers more anti-heroism than heroism, in keeping with the trends in science fiction that began with the New Wave. Hallam is an ordinary and unlikable man pushed into a position of power by accident, and Lamont, who tries to tear him down, is not much better. Lamont simply happens to be right, and Hallam happens to be wrong. Lamont's motivation is revealed at the end of Part I, however, when he

 
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