Richard Garwin, designer of the first hydrogen bomb, dies aged 97
What would American physicist Richard Garwin, who died on May 13 in Scarsdale, New York, at the age of 97, have thought of the "Golden Dome," the missile defense shield project announced by President Donald Trump a week later, on Tuesday, May 20? In 1968, alongside Nobel laureate Hans Bethe (1906–2005), he spoke out against the development of such a system, which they both considered unnecessary and costly, and later vigorously criticized Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" program.
At just 23 years old, Garwin designed the first hydrogen bomb, tested on November 1, 1952, in the Marshall Islands. He later became a leading figure in nuclear arms control and a vocal proponent of disarmament, notably alongside the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, which bring together scientists worldwide to reduce the risks of armed conflict.
Described by his biographer, Joel Shurkin, as "the most influential scientist you've never heard of," Garwin long remained discreet – even with those closest to him – about his role as adviser to US presidents, from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama, and his involvement in developing the hydrogen bomb. His role was only revealed in 2001, following testamentary statements by Edward Teller (1908–2003), who had been tasked by President Harry Truman with building such a weapon. In a 2024 interview with Spectrum, the magazine of the IEEE, the world's largest engineering professional society, Garwin said the mission he was given felt more like a challenge than a sign of trust.
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