Garwin, Richard L.
Oral history interview with Richard Garwin, 2020, April 14.
In this interview, David Zierler, Oral Historian for AIP, interviews Richard Garwin. AIP has several interviews with Garwin already on record; the discussion here focuses on Garwins interest and work in recent years. Garwin describes his involvement in pandemic research generally and the Covid-19 crisis specifically. He discusses his involvement in advising on bioterrorism, and he reflects on the import of his research in the realm of national policy. Garwin describes the strength of the United States today in the world arena relative to earlier parts of his career, and he describes his involvement in the creation of the hydrogen bomb. He discusses the current status of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, and he discusses the prospects for ongoing nuclear security in the face of threats from Iran and other U.S. adversaries. Garwin offers his views on the ongoing threats from climate change and terrorism and the challenges facing Americas energy future. He describes his work for the JASON national security advisory work, and he reflects on some of the individuals that he considers heroes. At the end of the interview, Garwin reflects on the singular genius of Feynman, and he reflects on the life of his wife, Lois, who died in 2018.
Born 1928. Physicist; received Ph.D. in 1949, University of Chicago under Enrico Fermi. On Fermi's invitation, Garwin went to Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1950. At this time appointed faculty position at University of Chicago. According to Edward Teller, was instrumental in creating the first hydrogen bomb. In 1952 Garwin joined IBM's Watson Laboratory at Columbia University in a research capacity (until 1970), while consulting at Los Alamos and for the U.S. government on issues of military technology and arms control. Also an adjunct professor in physics at Columbia University, and a professor of public policy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Member of the President's Science Advisory Committee, the Defense Science Board, and the National Academy of Science; Fellow of the American Physical Society.
Feynman, Richard P. (Richard Phillips), 1918-1988
Garwin, Richard L.
JASON Defense Advisory Group
Bioterrorism -- United States.
Climatic changes
COVID-19 (Disease)
Hydrogen bomb
National security
Nuclear weapons
Interviews. aat
Oral histories. aat
Transcripts. aat
Zierler, David, 1979- interviewer.
AIP-ICOS
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA