Edward Teller

"Most did not know about this work. It was top secret. Among those who knew, not all understood, and among those who understood, not all had access to key decision-makers in Washington. Among those who knew, and understood, and who had access, I was the only one who stood up for it. Without that, it is certain the positive information would never have reached the President. I did something, and I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I did it because it contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union. My only regret is that so many of my former friends who disagreed became bitter. I stood up to an unreasonable majority which wanted to stop the hydrogen bomb."

Dr. Edward Teller on his role in the development of the hydrogen bomb, Seattle Times interview, 1995

From interview, LLNL

So, having taken only a limited initiative, my pride or regret is also limited. The main point was to create a second laboratory, to create competition, and through collaboration to make it as productive as possible.

Today, this great respect for progress is replaced by fears. Technology is often described as "dehumanizing." The fear of pollution is linked to the fear of technology in general, and nowhere is that stronger than in connection with nuclear energy. To my mind, our young people are not sufficiently interested in the "hard" sciences. That is explained by the fears I have just described.