Edward Teller
1908-
Hungarian Physicist
Teller is one of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century. Until the end of the Cold War, he was one of the leading members of the military industrial complex.
As a young boy, Edward Teller was introduced to extreme nationalism, prejudice, and authoritarian government. When he was six, his native Hungary became deeply involved in World War I. Severe wartime shortages and unprecedented carnage gave Teller an early lesson in the importance of peace and security.
After the war, clashes between Communist and anti-Communist forces, frequent executions, and anti-Semitism hardened Teller's hatred of all types of authoritarianism. These early childhood experiences would influence his stand against both fascism and Communism. Edward Teller came to believe that democracy was the best form of government. He used his scientific expertise to fight all threats to its existence.
At an early age Teller showed formidable intellectual capacity, especially in mathematics. His excellent grades opened the doors to the great European universities. After graduating from secondary school, Teller chose to study in Germany, eventually receiving a Ph.D. from the University of Leipzig. When Hitler came to power in 1933, Teller decided to emigrate to America, where he eventually accepted a position at George Washington University. Here Teller became part of the American scientific establishment.
On August 2, 1939, Albert Einstein (1879-1955) reported to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that the development of nuclear weapons was possible. Because this research had been pioneered in Germany and many scientists were working within the Nazi organization, the probability was high that the Germans had a bomb program in operation. Teller and other prominent American scientists were given permission to develop a bomb on October 9, 1941, an undertaking called the Manhattan Project.The first atomic weapons were used against Japan to end World War II in August 1945.
Soon another conflict was at hand. The Cold War dominated international relations for half a century. Teller saw this as another battle against totalitarianism. His fears intensified when, on August 20, 1949, the Soviets exploded their first atomic weapon. He was also afraid that the Russians would develop an even more powerful hydrogen bomb. After intense secret debate spurred by Soviet advances in nuclear weapons, President Truman announced in January 1950 that an American hydrogen bomb project was underway.
Teller, known as the father of the American hydrogen bomb, accelerated research efforts. On May 8, 1951, a small test explosion proved the feasibility of Teller's concept, a theory called radiation implosion. On November 1, 1952, the United States detonated a device that was 500 times more powerful than the Nagasaki bomb. The final test of the hydrogen bomb came on March 1, 1954. The explosion produced a yield of 15 megatons, 1,000 times as large as the Hiroshima bomb. Although the Soviets were also working to develop thermonuclear weapons, their program lagged consistently behind that of the United States; they did not test a megaton weapon until 1955.
With both superpowers able to launch thermonuclear weapons, a horrific stalemate known as mutual assured destruction (MAD) ensued. Each side knew that a launch against its adversary would end its own existence. Teller, however, viewed MAD as an unacceptable means of maintaining peace. He believed that to hold the world's population hostage to nuclear destruction was unjustifiable. His prominent role in the development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in the 1980s, was an attempt to end this nightmarish scenario. This project, known popularly as "Star Wars," was the most controversial of Teller's career. It was based on the theory that a combination of lasers and ballistic missiles could shoot down incoming missiles. The project has languished since the end of the Cold War.
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