People

By Michele Orecklin

ATOMIC BOMBSHELL

The mysteries of quantum physics are rarely understood, much less contemplated, by nonscientists. But uncovering the exact nature of a 1941 meeting between physicists NIELS BOHR, top, and WERNER HEISENBERG is a challenge that has enthralled many theatergoers, thanks to the Tony Award-winning play Copenhagen. Michael Frayn's drama imagines what might have happened at the meeting in occupied Denmark between Heisenberg, chief of Hitler's atom-bomb program, and Bohr, his Jewish mentor. Did Heisenberg, postulator of the uncertainty principle, attempt to extract information from Bohr? Or did he use the meeting to confess his anguish over helping Hitler? The latter is what the play suggests. But last week Americans got a different version of the story, when unsent letters Bohr wrote Heisenberg were released. In them Bohr (who later fled to the U.S. and worked on the Manhattan Project) evinces dismay at Heisenberg's assertion during the meeting that Germany would soon have the bomb. "You...expressed your definite conviction that Germany would win and that it was therefore quite foolish for us to maintain the hope of a different outcome of the war," Bohr wrote. The letters don't entirely resolve the matter but should at least give pause to the performers in the Copenhagen touring company.

THE COMEBACK COUPLE

How MICHAEL JORDAN loves the comeback, whatever the field of endeavor. A month after his wife JUANITA announced she was retiring from their marriage, Jordan is making another try at the union, and the two, above in 1999, have announced they will reconcile. On Jan. 4, Juanita declared their 12-year marriage over and said she wanted sole custody of their three children. Commentators speculated whether the rift might affect Jordan's image and endorsement deals and how much of his estimated $400 million fortune he would have to hand over. Now commentators are wondering whether true love has ruled the day or Jordan feared harming his aura and side deals and handing over half his net worth.

INNOCENCE LOST

Gamines are always a big hit at the Olympics, whether they're ice skaters or gymnasts. Perhaps the first celebrity sprite was Belarus gymnast OLGA KORBUT, whose feats of elasticity in 1972 earned her three gold medals. Unfortunately, she seems to have tumbled in her middle years. Now 46 and living in Atlanta, Korbut was arrested recently for shoplifting $19 worth of groceries. It was further revealed that in December, police who arrived at her apartment with an eviction notice found $30,000 in counterfeit bills. A friend said Korbut was not living there at the time and had no involvement. There have been no charges in the case.

INNOCENCE LOST, PART II

Before Britney, there was TIFFANY. In 1987, at age 15, she had a No. 1 hit and earned what proved to be the fleeting devotion of teens and their parents with her wholesome image. Now 30 and married, with an 8-year-old son, Tiffany is plotting a return to music and an acting career. An album she released in 2000 received little notice because, says her publicist Jay Marose, "everyone still thought of her as 15." Her appearance in the April issue of Playboy should dispel that misconception. "I want to make sure people don't perceive this as a publicity stunt," says Marose. "Any woman would be honored to pose for Playboy." Should Britney get such an honor 10 years down the road, her fans would find it much less revealing. There's little of her the public has not already seen.