I think the article contains some great history on the early days of quantum mechanics and the interactions of its founding fathers, but I disagree with one of the main points: I'd wager that Einstein and Schrodinger invented these dramatic scenarios to illustrate their argument in a way they thought would be most effective. Trying to link the formulation of their thought experiments to deteriorating conditions in Germany doesn't accomplish anything, and is beyond the realm of the knowable without explicit evidence otherwise. Alternative title for the article: "MIT Physics Professor Just Wants to Tell You Some History". Oh, and welcome back, demure, I hope you've been well. :)Einstein could have reached for many different examples of large-scale effects with which to criticize a quantum-probabilistic description. His particular choice—the unmistakable damage caused by exploding caches of gunpowder—likely reflected the worsening situation in Europe.
There's a really nice book on history of physics The Harvest of a Century (Google preview) where you can get similar stories on people behind influential works and their accomplishments. It's much more about telling a story than giving you a science lecture, so that's a plus. Maths is kept to absolute minimum and anything past normal high school is neatly marked for more advanced/curious reader and occurs rather infrequently. Tone of the article made me recall this book, so consider it as a recommendation. :P
My pleasure! If you would like to know more about particle physics and its history I can also recommend The God Particle: if the Universe is the answer, what is the question? by Leon Lederman and Dick Teresi. It's an extremely approachable book for modern (sub)atomic physics and its history that's gentle enough to read on a bus. If I'm not mistaken the book uses any kind of formulae only in a "see these equations? they communicate to a physicist everything we were talking about for past 200 pages, but with much more detail" followed by a short explanation wtf the symbols mean.