The character who made possible the debate that forms the basis of this book is Carl Norden. He was born a Dutch citizen, studied in Switzerland, and later immigrated to the United States. Gladwell describes him as a genius who is happiest alone and working. He seemed to do his best thinking sitting at his mother’s kitchen table in Switzerland and would sometimes slip away there for inspiration. He left little evidence of his work, as he did much of it in his head. He had quirks, such as believing that sunlight made people stupid (he wore big hats everywhere he went). He was also an independent thinker who wanted to start from nothing rather than rely on the previous work of others.

Norden began working on the bombsight in the 1920s and eventually factored in all the variables—a total of 64— that he determined affected its accuracy. In effect, he created an analog computer, a machine full of moving parts that required intricate training to use. His goal was to improve the accuracy of bombing to limit destruction. Planes could drop bombs that only hit their intended military targets and war could then be waged entirely in the skies, largely ending the need for massive armies that fought to a bloody standstill in World War I.