Posted on 09/09/2003 8:55:00 PM PDT by MikalM
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:43:36 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Edward Teller, the man who played a key role in U.S. defense and energy policies for more than half a century and was dubbed the "Father of the H-bomb" for his enthusiastic pursuit of the powerful weapon, died Tuesday, a spokesman for Lawrence Livermore Laboratory confirmed. He was 95.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I met him a number of times in the late 80's. Even though he was physically frail, even then, his mind was on afterburner. He had a profound love of the idea of an X-Ray laser. I am not smart enough to know whether it was technologically possible but he seemed to think so and who am I to argue. I remember one afternoon when I carried him over to the OEOB; it was a hot summer Washington DC kind of day; there was no air conditioning in the conference room and he and his cronies were deep into the esoteric world of physics. I drifted off into a dreamlike state although I could still hear the discussion. Spock would have enjoyed the give and take.
The comment ""I really do feel it would have been a better world without Teller," physicist Isidor Rabi, a Nobel laureate, once said. "I think he is an enemy of humanity."
Sounds like old Isidor has a bitter bug up his ass with regards to Teller. Rabi would have us still going at each other with stones and spears......of yeah,... much better world Isidor. BTW.....Wasn't he the whack guy on Mork & Mindy ?:o)
Stay Safe !
A sad day.
I met Teller when I worked at Lawrence Livermore. Even in his 80's he had an incredible mind and presence.
HE SET UP US THE BOMB.
Edward Teller was on my Fortune 500's scientific advisory board, and was a stockholder.
Because of certain things I worked on, I was priviledged to meet him many times. He was the most intellectually intimidating person I ever met. When I last saw him, about six years ago, he had a five-hour layover in Boston, and my wife and I had a long lunch with him. (I suppose the real reason the company sent me was they needed a Corporate flunky to push him around Logan in his wheelchair, but who cares?)
There he was, across from us, gesturing and pounding his walking stick on the floor, and laughing about having just returned from Western Siberia, where he had been photographed next to a six megaton warhead. As was his custom, he was in "Lecturing" voice. The restaurant became suddenly silent, as they realized who he was.
Upon returning from the bar, where I had gotten him yet another orange juice, I saw my wife slyly putting something away in her bag. He had autographed the book "The Making of the Atom Bomb" to her: "Dear xxx! Do not believe a WORD they said about me!!!!"
I remember being at meetings at LRL. In their conference room, near the ceiling, and all around the walls, are pictures of the "Greats", Fermi, Bohr, Lawrence, etc., and Teller. There he was, his usual self, in the flesh, and on the wall to his left, his picture.
To a Physics and Chemistry nerd, it was like a normal person being with a Sports idol.
I am so happy to have been able to meet with him over the years. He was in his '80's then, and was still terrifyingly alive and brilliant. He wanted to talk about "Buckyballs". He had things to say about "Cold Fusion". He wanted to know about our nanophase programs.
But I am glad that I had never been on the recieving end of his fury. There are some who have left meetings in tatters, especially if they tried to BS him.
He sat there, appearing to all purposes like he was sound asleep, then..The Questions, The Comments! BANG! THUMP! went his walking stick! "Now Look!..." And someone would get a deer-in-the-headlights look..
What a grand old man he was. He was always gracious to women, whom he seemed to adore. Mrs. Gorzaloon, of Conservative bent, naturally, got along with him very well, and the two were chortling over some hawkish points like old cronies.
While some Cambridge types may think the world will be better without him, one thing we can agree upon is that the collective IQ of the World is much lower this morning.
Thanks for posting this. I heard it early this morning on my way to my workout ...
'Father of the H-bomb' dies06:26 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 10, 2003
SAN FRANCISCO - Edward Teller, a member of the Manhattan Project that created the first atomic bomb and who later emerged as the foremost champion of the vastly more destructive hydrogen bomb, has died. He was 95.
Teller, dubbed the "father of the H-bomb" and a key advocate of the anti-missile shield known as "Star Wars," died Tuesday at his home on the Stanford University campus.
Teller was a tireless advocate of a vigorous United States defense policy during and after the Cold War, urging development of advanced weapons as way to deter war.
"The second half of the century has been incomparably more peaceful than the first, simply by putting power into the hands of those people who wanted peace," he told a forum on the 50th anniversary of the atomic bomb attacks on Japan.
Teller's staunch support for defense stemmed in part from two events that shaped his view of world affairs -- the 1919 communist revolution in his native Hungary and the rise of Nazism while he lived in Germany in the early 1930s.
Witty and personable, with a passion for playing the piano, Teller nevertheless was a persuasive Cold Warrior who influenced presidents of both parties.
In 1939, he was one of three scientists who encouraged Albert Einstein to alert President Franklin Roosevelt that the power of nuclear fission -- the splitting of an atom's nucleus -- could be tapped to create a devastating new weapon.
He would later quip that he often believed the only reason he became a part of the trio was "because I was the only one who knew how to drive and had a car to get us there."
Two years later, even before the first atom bomb was completed, fellow scientist Enrico Fermi suggested that nuclear fusion -- fusing rather than splitting nuclei -- might be used for an even more destructive explosive, the hydrogen bomb.
Teller's enthusiasm and pursuit of such a bomb won him the title "father of the H-bomb," a characterization he said he hated. The first megaton H-bomb was exploded in 1952.
The H-bomb was never used in war, but atom bombs were dropped on Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Some scientists had suggested at the time that a bomb be exploded in the sky miles over Tokyo harbor in hopes of scaring Japan into surrendering with a minimum of casualties.
"I think we shared the opportunity and the duty, which we did not pursue, to find... a possibility to demonstrate" the bomb, Teller said at the anniversary forum. "Now in retrospect I have a regret."
Among honors Teller received were the Albert Einstein Award, the Enrico Fermi Award and the National Medal of Science and, in July, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Teller also will be remembered for his role in destroying the career of his one-time boss, Robert Oppenheimer -- which alienated Teller from many of his colleagues.
Teller claimed Oppenheimer, who had directed the Manhattan Project, had slowed development of the H-bomb, allowing the Soviet Union to catch up. The allegations became the basis for the most serious charges brought against Oppenheimer in 1954 when his security clearance was lifted.
In his memoirs, published in 2001, Teller remained critical of Oppenheimer but said he was stupid to testify against him. Teller also said he was motivated not by Oppenheimer's opposition to the hydrogen bomb, but by the way Oppenheimer had treated another man.
Teller was born Jan. 15, 1908, in Budapest. He received his university education in Germany, earning a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Leipzig.
In 1935, Teller and his wife, Mici, came to the United States, where Teller was a professor at George Washington University until 1941, the same year the Tellers became U.S. citizens.
Teller joined the Manhattan Project in 1942 at Los Alamos (N.M.) Scientific Laboratory to work on developing the first atomic bomb. He also promoted the hydrogen fusion bomb, a concept that attracted interest but remained secondary to the work on the atomic weapon.
After the success of the Manhattan Project, Teller left in 1946 to become a physics professor at the University of Chicago.
When the Soviets tested their first atomic bomb in 1949, Teller persuaded the Truman administration to push ahead on H-bomb research. He returned to Los Alamos and worked on the bomb through the first megaton-scale explosion at Eniwetok in the Pacific in 1952.
At the same time, Teller pushed for the creation of a second national science lab -- the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He became a consultant there in 1952, associate director in 1954 and director from 1958-60. He continued as a consultant at the lab after retiring in 1975.
"He put his heart and soul into this laboratory and into ensuring the security of this nation, and his dedication never foundered," said Michael Anastasio, director of the lab.
In 1983, Teller persuaded President Reagan that space-based laser weapons could provide a secure anti-missile defense. Reagan bought the idea and proposed the multibillion-dollar Strategic Defense Initiative, dubbed "Star Wars."
Computer experts raised doubts early on about the reliability of the complex software required for a Star Wars system. But even as the evidence mounted that Star Wars would cost billions more than originally expected and would take years longer to develop, Teller continued to support it.
"The danger for ballistic missiles in the hands of 18 different nations has increased, and will increase, unless we have a defense," he said. "If we want to have stable, peaceful conditions, defense against sudden attack by rockets is more needed than ever."
Mici Teller, his wife of 66 years, died in 2000. He is survived by his son, Paul Teller, his daughter, Wendy Teller, four grandchildren and a great grandchild.
In Teller's autobiography "Memoirs: A Twentieth-Century Journey in Science and Politics," Teller said he was often asked whether he regretted having worked on the atomic and hydrogen bombs.
"My answer is no. I deeply regret the deaths and injuries that resulted from the atomic bombings, but my best explanation of why I do not regret working on weapons is a question: What if we hadn't?"
Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/091003dnnattellerobit.9044ee31.html
In case you missed this (full article on #68) ...One of America's great one passes. Rest in peace, Edward Teller ...
'Father of the H-bomb' dies
Excerpt:
SAN FRANCISCO - Edward Teller, a member of the Manhattan Project that created the first atomic bomb and who later emerged as the foremost champion of the vastly more destructive hydrogen bomb, has died. He was 95.
Teller, dubbed the "father of the H-bomb" and a key advocate of the anti-missile shield known as "Star Wars," died Tuesday at his home on the Stanford University campus.
Teller was a tireless advocate of a vigorous United States defense policy during and after the Cold War, urging development of advanced weapons as way to deter war.
"The second half of the century has been incomparably more peaceful than the first, simply by putting power into the hands of those people who wanted peace," he told a forum on the 50th anniversary of the atomic bomb attacks on Japan.
Teller's staunch support for defense stemmed in part from two events that shaped his view of world affairs -- the 1919 communist revolution in his native Hungary and the rise of Nazism while he lived in Germany in the early 1930s.
Witty and personable, with a passion for playing the piano, Teller nevertheless was a persuasive Cold Warrior who influenced presidents of both parties.
In 1939, he was one of three scientists who encouraged Albert Einstein to alert President Franklin Roosevelt that the power of nuclear fission -- the splitting of an atom's nucleus -- could be tapped to create a devastating new weapon.
He would later quip that he often believed the only reason he became a part of the trio was "because I was the only one who knew how to drive and had a car to get us there."
< snip >
In Teller's autobiography "Memoirs: A Twentieth-Century Journey in Science and Politics," Teller said he was often asked whether he regretted having worked on the atomic and hydrogen bombs.
"My answer is no. I deeply regret the deaths and injuries that resulted from the atomic bombings, but my best explanation of why I do not regret working on weapons is a question: What if we hadn't?"
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Ayep. The combo of his booming voice, razor sharp intellect, and first hand knowledge of some of the most important events of the 20th Century made him an incredibly formidable speaker.
I once saw him refute a lefty who went on a "why can't we all renounce violence" whine.
It wasn't pretty. Never before and probably never again will I see someone so thoroughly trounced.
Teller filled a room with his presence. He was a an absolutely hypnotic speaker.
I had dinner with Dr. Teller back in '92 when he was our honorary (and honored) national meeting chairman of the professional society (Health Physics) that I belonged to at the time. Listening to him discourse on various subjects, physics, politics, philosophy, current events, was a once in a lifetime experience. The depth and breadth of his knowledge was amazing.
If you ever saw films of his testimony before Congress or in public speeches, you will know that he was an amazingly effective advocate. He had an imposing physical appearance and spoke with a passion in his voice that would all but silence doubters.
I can never hope to achieve even a modicum of what Edward Teller accomplished in his life, but, somehow, knowing that such greatness can be is measure enough.
I am not normally sympathetic to those types, but cringe at the thought of the wretch's gnawed bones being summarily tossed aside.
I would pay dearly for a videotape, and imagine the victim would outbid me....It probably looked something like Napolean's retreat from Moscow, or maybe even a roadrunner cartoon, where Wile.E.Coyote is under a falling anvil.
This is an extraordinary statement because of its source. I think it deserves some attention in terms of its ramifications on foreign policy as well as defense spending priorities.
One of the giants, for sure. RIP, Dr. Teller.
Dr. Teller seems to have paid attention to the health warnings in force at the Lawrence Radiation Lab. Many top scientists did not heed those warnings in the early days and paid with their lives.
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