Edward Teller Quotes
Secrecy in science does not work. Withholding information does more damage to us than to our competitors.
Edward Teller, 1908-2003, Nobel Laureate in Physics, Nuclear Physicist, Director, Laurence Livermore National Laboratory, Quoted in F. J. Duarte (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Lasers '87
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This was published just after his death.
The Scientific Project that developed the Atomic Bomb. Oppenheimer was the great physicist who directed the successful development of the atomic bomb so as to build the weapon before Hitler did in World War II. However, as the technology evolved, he had doubts as to the wisdom of creating even more powerful hydrogen weapons. His viewpoint was hurting the administration’s policy of rapid unlimited nuclear weapons development, and he was the victim of a character assassination whereby his security clearance was withdrawn. The “father” of the atomic bomb was the first American casualty of atomic weapons development.
Two days before Nagasaki was attacked by the second atomic bomb. Bohr was afraid of a nuclear arms race, and argued for the release of all scientific information. His suggestion went nowhere. There was a 50 year nuclear arms race.
Ingersoll was considered to be the greatest orator and political thinker of his day, but his overt atheistic views curtailed his elected political career.
By “arts” Jefferson meant the mechanical arts—inventions and engineering. Jefferson Extrapolated the science and technology progress at the time to the future in a way that few others did at that time.
There are many things about our enemies which they know that we know which are still kept classified because it would be embarrassing for the government, a previous administration or to an agency to reveal it. There are some documents that are classified even thought the enemy knows we have the information because if the document were released the enemy might find out the sources of the information which they do not know. However often they know that too. Potential embarrassment and scandal are the main reasons for keepingthings that the enemy knoews we know secret.
Scientific breakthroughs depend on genius, circumstances, the work of others and serendipity. None of these are very predictable which is why it is do difficult to manage a scientific enterprise and be accountable for any results. See {624867}.
His major facilities are located in Rockville, Maryland in the “Biotechnology Corridor” which is 10 minutes from the National Institutes of Health, the Surgeon General’s Office, the Food & Drug Administration and 40 minutes to the White House or Capital Hill.
Edward Teller was a Hungarian-American theoretical physicist who is known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb" (see the Teller–Ulam design), although he did not care for the title, considering it poor taste. Throughout his life, Teller was known both for his scientific ability and for his difficult interpersonal relations and volatile personality.
