Ted Taylor (physicist)
Ted Taylor | |
|---|---|
Taylor in 1965 | |
| Born | Theodore Brewster Taylor July 11, 1925 Mexico City, Mexico |
| Died | October 28, 2004 (aged 79) Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S. |
| Citizenship | Mexico, United States |
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, and Cornell University |
| Known for | Nuclear weapon designs and nuclear disarmament advocacy |
| Awards | E. O. Lawrence Award (1965) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Theoretical physics |
| Institutions | Los Alamos National Laboratory, General Atomics, Defense Atomic Support Agency |
Theodore Brewster "Ted" Taylor (July 11, 1925 – October 28, 2004) was an American theoretical physicist, specifically concerning nuclear energy. His higher education included a PhD from Cornell University in theoretical physics. His most noteworthy contributions to the field of nuclear weaponry were his small bomb developments at the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico. Although not widely known to the general public, Taylor is credited with numerous landmarks in fission nuclear weaponry development, including having designed and developed the smallest, most powerful, and most efficient fission weapons ever tested by the U.S. program. His vision and creativity allowed him to thrive in the field. The later part of Taylor's career was focused on nuclear energy instead of weaponry, and included his work on Project Orion, nuclear reactor developments, and anti-nuclear proliferation.