The First 25 Years At Los Alamos • Dr Norris Bradbury (1971)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norris_...
Norris Edwin Bradbury (May 30, 1909 - August 20, 1997), was an American physicist who served as director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory for 25 years from 1945 to 1970. He succeeded Robert Oppenheimer, who personally chose Bradbury for the position of director after working closely with him on the Manhattan Project during World War II. Bradbury was in charge of the final assembly of "the Gadget", detonated in July 1945 for the Trinity test.
Bradbury took charge at Los Alamos at a difficult time. Staff were leaving in droves, living conditions were poor and there was a possibility that the laboratory would close. He managed to persuade enough staff to stay and got the University of California to renew the contract to manage the laboratory. He pushed continued development of nuclear weapons, transforming them from laboratory devices to production models. Numerous improvements made them safer, more reliable and easier to store and handle, and made more efficient use of scarce fissionable materiel.
In the 1950s Bradbury oversaw the development of thermonuclear weapons, although a falling-out with Edward Teller over the priority given to their development led to the creation of a rival nuclear weapons laboratory, the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. In later years, he branched out, constructing the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility to develop the laboratory's role in nuclear science, and during the Space Race of the 1960s, the laboratory developed the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application (NERVA). The Bradbury Science Museum is named in his honor.

[@nuclearvault]

A little dry, but a nice little story from Dr Norris Bradbury

[@thedreadtyger]

I had the pleasure of knowing men of that generation and of that caliber in my boyhood. None that highly placed, but certainly of that character. Thank you for reminding us of that goodness.

[@robertmandell526]

I knew much of the Los Alamos story and history before viewing this presentation. But seeing and hearing a very great (but unfortunately little known) American sel-effacingly reprise his history there and his great contribution to national security, is touching and humbling. To recall Churchill: Never have so many owed so much to so few.

[@randelbrooks]

Thank you for putting this on KZbin it was a very good straightforward film.

[@BuyLuxuryFootRestsFromTh-bw8ub]

Thanks for another great piece of video history.

[@russharrison5707]

Ait army Sandia 67

[@johnned4848]

Great video and great history. Bradbury and a lot of other great scientists seemed to be very down to warth plain spoken and a lot of common sense that could make difficult subjects comprehensible to the average person. On the H-Bomb i like how he gives Teller full credit without mentioning the breakthrough idea of Ulam which made it feasible. But a picture of Ulam is shown without explanation. Draw your own conclusions. One final thought he was also a visionary who wanted the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons but also that Los Alamos most important mission would be towards the environment.

[@lifesahobby]

Thanks

[@Richard-vf2yd]

Enlightening document!

[@Iceland874]

My dad went to UC Berkeley and first job was at Lawrence Lab . He spent a lot of time at Los Alamos. I wonder if Dr. Bradbury knew DrTeller. My dad worked under Dr. Teller.

[@JimskiBeatz]

I love the U S of Ayeee salut from the Netherlands

[@killertrip10]

Back when California still had Americans in it.

[@rapman5791]

🎯

[@Ganiscol]

What a clownish comment 😂

[@mmal7982]

What a dream state 1945-1980. Now its a marxist province.

[@yankeedoodle1963]

Most people in California are going to work, going to school, raising their families, contributing to society - like anywhere else in America. Have you ever even been to California, or anywhere but the stagnant backwater marshland you’re from? I’d sooner live somewhere that isn’t a testament to alcoholism, illiteracy, and multi-generational inbreeding

[@yankeedoodle1963]

@@mmal7982It’s the fifth largest economy on the planet. Let’s talk about all the wonderful benefits of living in your state, champ: the racism, the homophobia, religious bigotry, teen pregnancy, dropout rate, suicide rate, bankruptcies, domestic violence, unemployment, substance abuse, gambling addiction, hurricanes/flooding/wildfires, foreclosures, birth defects etc etc