Prof. Istvan Hargittai 
Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Date: Jan. 9, 2011

Title: Judging Edward Teller

Abstract:

Many people know Edward Teller as the "Father of the H-Bomb." His name generates extreme 
views. To his supporters he was a hero of the Cold War. To his detractors he was evil personified. 
Between these extremes was the life of the real man.  
This non-technical talk presents a balanced portrait of the multifaceted and enigmatic 
scientist against the backdrop of a turbulent period of history. Avoiding bias and preconceptions, 
it critically examines Teller's personality, family background, and the experiences that guided his 
actions—correcting many of the myths that others and Teller himself promulgated.  
The significant facets of Teller's life include his Jewish-Hungarian origins, forced 
emigrations, brilliance in science, and devotion to the defense of the United States. He exercised 
ruthless Machiavellism in achieving his goals, including his damaging testimony against physicist 
J. Robert Oppenheimer, which sent him into internal exile, and which was more tormenting to 
him than his previous emigrations. He opposed the nuclear test bans during the Cold War and 
toward the end of his life he promoted the Strategic Defense Initiative. Yet, his very excesses may 
have contributed to the peace between the superpowers and the demise of the Soviet Union. 
Who was Edward Teller - the real "Dr. Strangelove," the driven crusader for the H-Bomb, 
the villain who destroyed Oppenheimer, or the devoted husband, loyal friend, patriot, and 
strongly idealistic scientist? This talk will reveal the contradictory nature of this complex man in 
his strengths, flaws, and brilliance. 

Speaker Bio:

ISTVAN HARGITTAI is professor of chemistry at the Budapest University of Technology and 
Economics. He is a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Norwegian Academy of 
Sciences, and the Academia Europaea (London). He has honorary doctorates from Moscow State 
University, the University of North Carolina, and the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 2007, he 
held the Distinguished Joseph Wunsch Letureship at the Technion.  
His books include the six-volume Candid Science series of interviews with famous scientists; 
The Road to Stockholm; The Martians of Science; and The DNA Doctor. His new book Judging 
Edward Teller appeared in October 2010.