Sky-High Radiation Found in Fukushima Fish

[PamW]

36. If you don't like the response; don't make the mistake.

longship,

If you are unsure about what you are about to post; then look it up before you post.

Actually, Los Alamos and its post Oppenheimer director Norris Bradbury were actually rather reticent to pursue the thermonuclear program. Bradbury and Los Alamos were set on a program of just designing bigger A-bombs, and not the H-bombs.

Rather than fight with the Los Alamos administration, Teller founded his own Lab with help from E.O. Lawrence. It's a good thing he did; because LLNL has really eclipsed Los Alamos.

Here is a wiki entry on the Koon test.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Koon

Actually, having a fizzle really isn't bad, because that's how we learn. In fact the first few tests of the newly created Livermore Lab were fizzles because the lab was devoted to being innovative:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Livermore_National_Laboratory

From its inception, Livermore focused on innovative weapon design concepts; as a result, its first three nuclear tests were unsuccessful. However, the Lab persevered and its subsequent designs proved increasingly successful.

As far as the downfall of Oppenheimer; Teller played a really minor part.

All during the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer was doing things that if done by anyone else would certainly get their security clearance terminated. Oppenheimer was seeing a mistress, Jean Tatlock. Marital infidelity to his wife, Kitty would have gotten his security clearance yanked. Additionally, Oppenheimer associated with known Communists, including his mistress, Jean Tatlock.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Tatlock

During the Manhattan Project, General Groves "looked the other way" with regard to Oppenheimer's security infractions. However, after the war; Oppenheimer crossed swords with AEC Chairman Lewis Strauss, and made Strauss look very bad in front of a Senate hearing.

Oppenheimer was vulnerable due to his security infractions, and needed Strauss to look the other way as Groves did. Then he made Strauss look bad. Oppenheimer was asked why he did that later on in life, and his reply was, "...because I was stupid".

Teller went to the hearing with the original intention of speaking in defense of Oppenheimer. Just before his testimony, the prosecutor, Roger Robb; took Teller aside and showed him the security file on Oppenheimer with all those transgressions that would have gotten anyone else's clearance terminated.

Teller's testimony was basically that he didn't understand Oppenheimer's judgement in doing all these actions which were security offenses.

Oppenheimer was in so much trouble before Teller's testimony, that Teller could have saved him only with unswerving support. However, having just been shown all the infractions of the security rules that Oppenheimer committed; Teller just stated that he "didn't understand" Oppenheimer's judgement.

Although the popular myth is that Teller cost Oppenheimer his clearance; Teller's part was really very minor. Oppenheimer sealed his own fate by violating security rules, and getting a "pass" by Groves. But then Oppenheimer offended Strauss, the man who needed to continue to give him a "pass".

PamW