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NDTV
21-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
He Made World's First Hydrogen Bomb But Kept It A Secret For 50 Years
Richard L Garwin, the creator of America's hydrogen bomb, died on May 13 at his home in Scarsdale, New York. He was 97. Over the course of his seven-decade career, Mr Garwin laid the groundwork for insights into the structure of the universe. He also helped in the development of several medical and computer marvels. But his contribution to the one invention that changed the course of history remained a secret for almost 50 years. At the age of 23, he designed the world's first hydrogen bomb. Mr Garwin, who was then a professor at the University of Chicago and just a summer consultant at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, used physicist Edward Teller and mathematician Stanislaw Ulam's concepts to design the hydrogen bomb in 1951-1952. The experimental device, code-named Ivy Mike, was successfully tested on the Marshall Islands on November 1, 1952. Mr Garwin's contribution to the creation of the first hydrogen bomb was a well-kept secret for decades. Outside a select group of government, military, and intelligence officials, no one knew about his role in the experiment due to the secrecy surrounding the project. Edward Teller, whose name had long been associated with the bomb, first credited Mr Garwin in a 1981 taped statement, acknowledging his crucial role in the invention. "The shot was fired almost precisely according to Garwin's design," Mr Teller said, as per The NY Times. The recording was lost to history for 22 years. The late acknowledgement received little attention, and Mr Garwin remained unknown to the public for a long time. In an interview with Esquire magazine in 1984, Mr Garwin opened up about getting little to no recognition for his work on the hydrogen bomb. He said, "I never felt that building the hydrogen bomb was the most important thing in the world, or even in my life at the time." This changed in April 2001 when George A Keyworth II, Mr Teller's friend, provided the transcript of the tape recording to The New York Times. Even though Teller had earlier recognised the young physicist's contribution, such references were lost in specialised writings and meetings. Suddenly, fifty years after the event, Mr Garwin gained wide public recognition as the creator of the H-bomb. Meanwhile, after his success on the hydrogen bomb project, Mr Garwin accepted a job at the International Business Machines Corporation, where he worked for four decades, until his retirement. In between this, Mr Garwin remained a government consultant, offering advice on matters pertaining to national defence. The physicist was an adviser to several American Presidents, such as Dwight D Eisenhower, John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson, Richard M Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Richard L Garwin's many honours include the 2002 National Medal of Science, the nation's highest award for accomplishments in science and engineering, given by US President George W Bush and the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award, given by President Barack Obama.
Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Science
- Boston Globe
Richard L. Garwin, a creator of the hydrogen bomb, dies at 97
While his mentor, Nobel laureate Enrico Fermi, called him 'the only true genius I have ever met,' Dr. Garwin was not the father of the hydrogen bomb. Hungarian-born physicist Edward Teller and Polish mathematician Stanislaw Ulam, who developed theories for a bomb, may have greater claims to that sobriquet. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up In 1951-52, however, Dr. Garwin, at the time an instructor at the University of Chicago and just a summer consultant at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, designed the actual bomb, using the Teller-Ulam ideas. An experimental device code-named Ivy Mike, it was shipped to the Western Pacific and tested on an atoll in the Marshall Islands. Advertisement Intended only to prove the fusion concept, the device did not even resemble a bomb. It weighed 82 tons, was undeliverable by airplane, and looked like a gigantic thermos bottle. Soviet scientists, who did not test a comparable device until 1955, derisively called it a thermonuclear installation. Advertisement But at the Enewetak Atoll on Nov. 1, 1952, it spoke: An all-but-unimaginable fusion of atoms set off a vast, instant flash of blinding light, soundless to distant observers, and a fireball 2 miles wide with a force 700 times greater than the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945. Its mushroom cloud soared 25 miles and expanded to 100 miles across. Because secrecy shrouded the development of America's thermonuclear weapons programs, Dr. Garwin's role in creating the first hydrogen bomb was virtually unknown for decades outside a small circle of government defense and intelligence officials. It was Teller, whose name had long been associated with the bomb, who first publicly credited him. 'The shot was fired almost precisely according to Garwin's design,' Teller said in a 1981 statement that acknowledged the crucial role of the young prodigy. Still, that belated recognition got little notice. Compared with later thermonuclear weapons, Dr. Garwin's bomb was crude. Its raw power nonetheless recalled films of the first atomic bomb test in New Mexico in 1945, and the appalled reaction of its creator, J. Robert Oppenheimer, reflecting upon the sacred Hindu text of the Bhagavad Gita: 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' For Dr. Garwin, it was something less. 'I never felt that building the hydrogen bomb was the most important thing in the world, or even in my life at the time,' he told Esquire magazine in 1984. Asked about any feelings of guilt, he said: 'I think it would be a better world if the hydrogen bomb had never existed. But I knew the bombs would be used for deterrence.' Advertisement Although the first hydrogen bomb was constructed to his specifications, Dr. Garwin was not present to witness its detonation at Enewetak. 'I've never seen a nuclear explosion,' he said in an interview for this obituary in 2018. 'I didn't want to take the time.' After his success on the hydrogen bomb project, he said, he found himself at a crossroads in 1952. He could return to the University of Chicago, where he had earned his doctorate under Fermi and was now an assistant professor, with the promise of life at one of the nation's most prestigious academic institutions. Or he could accept a far more flexible job at the International Business Machines Corp. It offered a faculty appointment and use of the Thomas J. Watson Laboratory at Columbia University, with wide freedom to pursue his research interests. It would also let him continue to work as a government consultant at Los Alamos and in Washington. He chose the IBM deal, and it lasted for four decades, until his retirement. For IBM, Dr. Garwin worked on a stream of pure and applied research projects that yielded an astonishing array of patents, scientific papers, and technological advances in computers, communications, and medicine. His work was crucial in developing magnetic resonance imaging, high-speed laser printers, and later touch-screen monitors. A dedicated maverick, Dr. Garwin worked hard for decades to advance the hunt for gravitational waves -- ripples in the fabric of space-time that Einstein had predicted. In 2015, the costly detectors he backed were able to successfully observe the ripples, opening a new window on the universe. Meantime, Dr. Garwin continued to work for the government, consulting on national defense issues. As an expert on weapons of mass destruction, he helped select priority Soviet targets and led studies on land, sea, and air warfare involving nuclear-armed submarines, military and civilian aircraft, and satellite reconnaissance and communication systems. Much of his work continued to be secret, and he remained largely unknown to the public. Advertisement He became an adviser to presidents including Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. He also became known as a voice against President Reagan's proposals for a space-based missile system, popularly called Star Wars, to defend the nation against nuclear attack. It was never built. One of Dr. Garwin's celebrated battles had nothing to do with national defense. In 1970, as a member of Nixon's science advisory board, he ran afoul of the president's support for development of the supersonic transport plane. He concluded that the SST would be expensive, noisy, bad for the environment, and a commercial dud. Congress dropped its funding. Britain and France subsidized the development of their own SST, the Concorde, but Dr. Garwin's predictions were largely correct, and interest faded. A small, professorial man with thinning flyaway hair and a gentle voice more suited to college lectures than a congressional hot seat, Dr. Garwin became an almost legendary figure within the defense establishment, giving speeches, writing articles, and testifying before lawmakers on what he called misguided Pentagon choices. Some of his feuds with the military were bitter and long-running. They included fights over the B1 bomber, the Trident nuclear submarine, and the MX missile system, a network of mobile, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles that were among the most lethal weapons in history. All eventually joined America's vast arsenal. Advertisement While Dr. Garwin was frustrated by such setbacks, he pressed ahead. His core message was that America should maintain a strategic balance of nuclear power with the Soviet Union. He opposed any weapon or policy that threatened to upset that balance, because, he said, it kept the Russians in check. He liked to say that Moscow was more interested in live Russians than dead Americans. Dr. Garwin supported reductions of nuclear arsenals, including the 1979 Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT II), negotiated by Carter and Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet premier. But Dr. Garwin insisted that mutually assured destruction was the key to keeping the peace. In 2021, he joined 700 scientists and engineers, including 21 Nobel laureates, who signed an appeal asking President Biden to pledge that the United States would never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict. Their letter also called for an end to the American practice of giving the president sole authority to order the use of nuclear weapons; a curb on that authority, they said, would be 'an important safeguard against a possible future president who is unstable or who orders a reckless attack.' The ideas were politically delicate, and Biden made no such pledge. Dr. Garwin told Quest magazine in 1981, 'The only thing nuclear weapons are good for, and have ever been good for, is massive destruction, and by that threat deterring nuclear attack: If you slap me, I'll clobber you.' Richard Lawrence Garwin was born in Cleveland on April 19, 1928, the older of two sons of Robert and Leona (Schwartz) Garwin. His father was a teacher of electronics at a technical high school during the day and a projectionist in a movie theater at night. His mother was a legal secretary. Advertisement At an early age, Richard, called Dick, showed remarkable intelligence and technical ability. By 5, he was repairing family appliances. He and his brother, Edward, attended public schools in Cleveland. Dick graduated at 16 from Cleveland Heights High School in 1944 and earned a bachelor's degree in physics in 1947 from what is now Case Western Reserve University. In 1947, he married Lois Levy. She died in 2018. In addition to his son Thomas, he leaves another son, Jeffrey; a daughter, Laura; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Under Fermi's tutelage at the University of Chicago, he earned a master's degree in 1948 and a doctorate in 1949, scoring the highest marks on doctoral exams ever recorded by the university. He then joined the faculty, but at Fermi's urging spent his summers at the Los Alamos lab, where his H-bomb work unfolded. After retiring in 1993, Dr. Garwin chaired the State Department's Arms Control and Nonproliferation Advisory Board until 2001. He served in 1998 on the Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States. Dr. Garwin's home in Scarsdale is not far from his longtime base at the IBM Watson Labs, which had moved in 1970 from Columbia University to Yorktown Heights. Dr. Garwin held faculty appointments at Harvard and Cornell as well as Columbia. He held 47 patents, wrote some 500 scientific research papers and many books, including 'Nuclear Weapons and World Politics' (1977, with David C. Gompert and Michael Mandelbaum), and 'Megawatts and Megatons: A Turning Point in the Nuclear Age?' (2001, with Georges Charpak). He was the subject of a biography, 'True Genius: The Life and Work of Richard Garwin, the Most Influential Scientist You've Never Heard Of' (2017), by Joel N. Shurkin. His many honors included the 2002 National Medal of Science, the nation's highest award for science and engineering achievements, given by President George W. Bush, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, bestowed by President Obama in 2016. 'Ever since he was a Cleveland kid tinkering with his father's movie projectors, he's never met a problem he didn't want to solve,' Obama said in a lighthearted introduction at the White House. 'Reconnaissance satellites, the MRI, GPS technology, the touch-screen -- all bear his fingerprints. He even patented a mussel washer for shellfish -- that I haven't used. The other stuff I have.' This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Richard Garwin, a designer of the first hydrogen bomb, dies at 97
Richard L. Garwin, a designer of the first hydrogen bomb, died Tuesday, his daughter-in-law, Tabatha Garwin confirmed to CBS News. The renowned scientist was 97 years old. A prominent scientist who advised several U.S. presidents, Garwin made contributions in nuclear weapons, physics, and in military technology, among many other areas. He published more than 500 papers and was granted 47 U.S. patents, according to The Garwin Archive maintained by the Federation of American Scientists. He was just 23 years old when he designed the first working hydrogen bomb, according to a profile written in IEEE Spectrum magazine. It was detonated in a test codenamed Ivy Mike at Enewetak Atoll in November 1952, yielding 10.4 megatons of TNT, the measurement that quantifies the force of nuclear weapons. Garwin's role had been largely unknown outside of a small circle of physicists, mathematicians, and engineers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, who were involved with the project until 2001, the profile said. In 2016, former President Obama awarded Garwin the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his scientific work. In the citation, Mr. Obama said Garwin,"made pioneering contributions to U.S. defense and intelligence technologies." Garwin was honored with the National Medal of Science in 2002 and was awarded the Vannevar Bush Award in 2023, which honors exceptional lifelong leaders in science and technology. "Richard Garwin is truly remarkable," Dario Gil, Chair of the Board's External Engagement Committee, said in a statement. "His continuing contributions to society, both as a scientific researcher and presidential advisor, help bolster national security and improve international collaboration." Garwin was born in Cleveland in 1928 and lived in Scarsdale, New York. His wife, Lois, of 70 years, predeceased him. The couple had three children. Sneak peek: Fatal First Date Trump teases "good news" on Russia-Ukraine war Preview: "Sunday Morning: By Design" - A Weekend in New Orleans (May 18)
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Richard L. Garwin, a designer of the first hydrogen bomb, dies at 97
Richard L. Garwin, a designer of the first hydrogen bomb, died Tuesday, his daughter-in-law, Tabatha Garwin confirmed to CBS News. The renowned scientist was 97 years old. A prominent scientist who advised several U.S. presidents, Garwin made contributions in nuclear weapons, physics, and in military technology, among many other areas. He published more than 500 papers and was granted 47 U.S. patents, according to The Garwin Archive maintained by the Federation of American Scientists. He was just 23 years old when he designed the first working hydrogen bomb, according to a profile written in IEEE Spectrum magazine. It was detonated in a test codenamed Ivy Mike at Enewetak Atoll in November 1952, yielding 10.4 megatons of TNT, the measurement that quantifies the force of nuclear weapons. Garwin's role had been largely unknown outside of a small circle of physicists, mathematicians, and engineers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, who were involved with the project until 2001, the profile said. U.S. President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to physicist Richard Garwin during an East Room ceremony at the White House November 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest honor for civilians in the United States of America. Alex Wong / Getty Images In 2016, former President Obama awarded Garwin the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his scientific work. In the citation, Mr. Obama said Garwin,"made pioneering contributions to U.S. defense and intelligence technologies." Garwin was honored with the National Medal of Science in 2002 and was awarded the Vannevar Bush Award in 2023, which honors exceptional lifelong leaders in science and technology. "Richard Garwin is truly remarkable," Dario Gil, Chair of the Board's External Engagement Committee, said in a statement. "His continuing contributions to society, both as a scientific researcher and presidential advisor, help bolster national security and improve international collaboration." Garwin was born in Cleveland in 1928 and lived in Scarsdale, New York. His wife, Lois, of 70 years, predeceased him. The couple had three children.
India.com
14-05-2025
- General
- India.com
5 most powerful nuclear bombs in the world, some capable of wiping out entire country in seconds, their owners are...
5 most powerful nuclear bombs in the world, some capable of wiping out entire country in seconds, their owners are... Nuclear bombs are among the most dangerous weapons ever created. Even though they've only been used in war once when the US dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II the destruction they caused was enough to terrify the world. And those bombs were much weaker than the ones we have today. After witnessing that horrifying destruction, countries around the world began demanding restrictions on the testing and use of nuclear weapons. Today, there are nine countries that officially possess nuclear arms, including India. But do you know which are the most powerful nuclear bombs ever built? Here's a look at the top five, capable of bringing global destruction on their own. 5. Castle Romeo Castle Romeo holds the fifth spot on the list of the world's most powerful nuclear bombs. Back in 1954, the United States launched a series of tests under the Castle Program. These were aimed at developing and testing stronger nuclear weapons. One of those tests included the Romeo bomb, which had an explosive power equal to 11 megatons of TNT. That's hundreds of times more powerful than the bombs dropped in Japan. 4. Ivy Mike At number four is Ivy Mike, a bomb that changed nuclear science forever. It was the world's first hydrogen bomb, using thermonuclear fusion a process far more powerful than simple fission. Tested in 1952, Ivy Mike had a yield of 12 megatons. It completely wiped out the island of Elugelab in the Pacific Ocean. The explosion created a massive mushroom cloud that rose 37 kilometers into the sky and stretched over 160 kilometers wide. It also left behind a crater 50 meters deep and two kilometers across. These weapons are terrifying not just because of their size, but because of the amount of damage they can cause. The next three bombs on the list are even more powerful, capable of wiping out entire countries in seconds. 3. Castle Yankee Ranked third on the list is Castle Yankee, another powerful weapon tested by the United States under its Castle Program. While designing it, scientists aimed to make a smaller-sized bomb that could still pack an enormous punch. When tested, Castle Yankee produced an explosive force greater than 13 megatons of TNT. The explosion sent a mushroom cloud soaring over 40 kilometers into the sky, with its 'cap' stretching more than 16 kilometers wide. It was a dramatic display of raw nuclear strength in a relatively compact design. 2. Castle Bravo Next up is Castle Bravo, the second most powerful nuclear bomb ever detonated. This massive bomb weighed about 10 tons and was nearly 5 meters long. It was built so it could be dropped by aircraft, making it a more practical option for military use. In March 1954, the US tested Castle Bravo on Bikini Atoll, a remote area in the Pacific Ocean. The explosion unleashed 15 megatons of energy more than expected. The resulting mushroom cloud rose 40 kilometers into the atmosphere and spread more than 100 kilometers wide. The blast also created a huge crater on the ocean floor, nearly 2 kilometers long. It was one of the most dangerous and controversial nuclear tests in history. 1. Tsar Bomba At number one is the Tsar Bomba (also known as AN602), the most powerful nuclear weapon ever created and detonated. This monstrous device was built by the Soviet Union and tested in 1961. Dropped from a TU-95M bomber over a remote island in the Russian Arctic, this 8-meter-long bomb exploded at an altitude of about 10 kilometers. The force of the explosion was measured at more than 58 megatons—making it 3,300 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The shockwave shattered windows 900 kilometers away, and the flash could be seen from over 1,000 kilometers. Had it been used in war, it could have instantly wiped out an entire city the size of New York or Delhi. The Tsar Bomba wasn't just a bomb it was a terrifying display of the most extreme power humanity has ever unleashed. Following its test in 1961, the remaining bomb casings are located in museums in Russia, specifically the Russian Atomic Weapon Museum in Sarov and the Museum of Nuclear Weapons in Snezhinsk. These bombs were never meant for regular use they were designed as demonstrations of might during the Cold War. But their existence reminds us just how high the stakes are when it comes to nuclear weapons. One wrong move could spell disaster not just for one country, but for the entire planet.
