The one of very first textbooks on nuclear engineering (1959) was coauthored by a Nobel Laureate, Eugene Wigner, working and writing with the then Director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Alvin Weinberg.
Physical Theory of Neutron Chain Reactors.
The man who led the way to the commercialization of nuclear reactors in the United States was also a Nobel Laureate (and a Democrat) who worked as head of the AEC in addition to his work as an educators and most importantly, his prodigious and unparalleled scientific output:
Glenn Seaborg
These reactors were built by engineers and scientists who worked with slide rules or with ancient computers less powerful than those in a wristwatch today.
The reactors these people built still serve humanity, more than half a century later.
These were not people hanging out in bars drinking martinis. They were not unserious people. They were among the finest minds ever to have lived. The demonization of their work has led to a vast tragedy for generations past, and will continue to lead to great tragedy for generations to come.
In my view, the ongoing destruction of the planetary atmosphere is a direct consequence of that demonization.
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