Death Rays and Delusions

In “Death Rays and Delusions,” Dr. Gerold Yonas explains how he found himself thrust into a high stakes world of generals and politicians, international intrigue, multi-billion dollar budgets, laser beams and nuclear annihilation as he faced a mind-boggling assignment–creating a high-tech shield in space to defend America from attack.In this autobiographical narrative about the end of the Cold War, Yonas gives a firsthand account of the creation and evolution of the Star Wars beam weapon program. Having served as the first chief scientist and acting deputy director for Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as the “Star Wars” program, Yonas traces the strange, ironic and humorous events of his career as “Reagan’s Ray Gun.” He offers insight into the end of the Cold War, the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the political, military and scientific machinations taking place in the background.Exploring a time characterized by chaos and confusion, politics and public relations, delusions and deceptions, Yonas reflects on the modern lessons from this era and shares his unique perspective on what happens when science and politics collide.

Dr. Gerold Yonas Yonas served as the acting deputy director and chief scientist during the implementation of the Strategic Defense Initiative. He has consulted for numerous national security organizations including the Defense Science Board, DARPA, the Air Force, the Army, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and has received many honors, including the U.S. Air Force Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service. Yonas has published extensively in the fields of intense particle beams, inertial confinement fusion, strategic defense technologies, technology transfer and "wicked engineering." After serving as the acting deputy director and chief scientist during the implementation of the Strategic Defense Initiative, Yonas went to work for Titan Corporation in San Diego, where he managed a group of small research companies. Three years later, he returned to Sandia National Laboratories to lead the pulsed power fusion program and several weapon related programs in the role of vice president of Systems, Science and Technology. At Sandia, Yonas went on to create the Advanced Concepts Group and explore new opportunities including brain research. Following his retirement from Sandia in 2009, he joined the Mind Research Network as the director of neurosystems engineering where he explored the link between neuroscience and systems engineering. He also developed a graduate course in this field and taught as an adjunct professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of New Mexico. Yonas holds a Ph.D. in engineering science and physics from the California Institute of Technology and a bachelor's in engineering physics from Cornell University, where he also received a varsity lightweight crew letter. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Jane, and is the father of two daughters, Jill and Jodi, and the grandfather of five children--Libby, Jenna, Jonathan, Emily and Ben. Yonas makes his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Jane and the family dog, Peter.