ML21264A177
| ML21264A177 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/21/2021 |
| From: | Thomas Wellock Office of Public Affairs |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML21264A177 (2) | |
Text
Too Cheap to M eter: A History of the Phrase
D ona ld H int z, C ha ir ma n of t he N uc le a r E ne r g y I ns t it ut e, s a id a t 2 0 0 3 c onfe r e nc e t ha t t he nuc le a r indus t r y ha d be e n pla g ue d s inc e t he e a r ly da ys by t he unfor t una t e quot e : T oo c he a p t o me t e r. T hos e four w or ds ha d be c ome a s t a nda r d c a t c hphr a s e for w ha t c r it ic s c la im w e r e impos s ibly s unny pr omis e s of nuc le a r pow e r s pot e nt ia l.
Not s o fas t, Hintz countered. He noted that Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Lewis Strauss, in a 1954 address to science writers, h a d c oine d t he phr a s e t o de s c r ibe fus ion pow e r, not fis s ion. N uc le a r pow e r ma y be a vic t im of mis t a ke n ide nt it y.
H int z w a s not a lone in t his vie w. Ove r t he pa s t four de c a de s, a nt inuc le a r a nd pr onuc le a r ve r s ions of w ha t St r a us s me a nt by t oo c he a p t o me t e r ha ve a ppe a r e d in a r t ic le s, blog s, a nd books. E ve n Wikipe dia ha s w e ig he d in, on t he pr o-nuc le a r s ide. R e c onc iling t he t w o ve r s ions is n t e a s y s inc e St r a us s w a s n t e x plic it a bout w ha t pow e r s our c e w ould e le c t r ify t he ut opia n fut ur e he pr e dic t e d.
T r a ns mut a t i on of t he element s, unlimit ed power, a bilit y t o inves t ig a t e t he wor king of living c ells by t r a c e r a t oms, t he s e c r e t of phot os ynt he s is a bout t o be unc ove r e d,- t he s e a nd a hos t of ot he r r e s ult s a ll in 1 5 s hor t ye a r s. I t is not t oo muc h t o e x pe c t t ha t our c hildr en will enjoy in t heir homes elec t r ic a l energ y t oo cheap t o met er, - w ill know of g r e a t pe r iodic r e g iona l fa mine s in t he w or ld only a s ma t t e r s of his t or y, - w ill t r a ve l e ffor t le s s ly ove r t he s e a s a nd unde r t he m a nd t hr oug h t he a ir w it h a minimum of da ng e r and a t g r e a t s pe e ds,- a nd w ill e x pe r ie nc e a life s pa n fa r long e r t ha n our s, a s dis e a s e yie lds a nd ma n c ome s t o unde r s t a nd w ha t c a us e s him t o a g e. T his is t he for e c a s t for a n a g e of pe a c e.
- N uc le a r c r it ic s be lie ve St r a us s w a s s pe a king of nuc le a r pow e r a nd c la im t ha t, a s A E C C ha ir ma n, he s poke for a budding indus t r y t oo. T he mos t t hor oug h de fe ns e of St r a us s a ppe a r e d in a 1980 a r t ic le by t he A t omic I ndus t r ia l For um.
C it ing t he opinions of St r a us s s s on, for me r A E C s t a ff, a nd a St r a us s biog r a phe r, t he A I F a r g ued t ha t St r a us s s omis s ion of a pow e r s our c e in t he pa s s a g e w a s like ly de libe r a t e s inc e he c ould not ma ke e x plic it r e fe r e nc e t o Pr oje c t She r w ood, t he A E C s s t ill s e c r e t fus ion pow e r pr og r a m t ha t St r a us s c ha mpione d.
M or e ove r, t he a r t ic le not e d, St r a us s unde r s t ood w e ll t ha t nuc le a r pow e r w ould not pa y for s ome ye a r s a nd t ha t his ut opia n vis ion mig ht be r e a liz e d only by his c hildr e n s, c hildr e n s, c hildr e n. N e it he r t he indus t r y nor t he A E C, t he A I F a r t ic le not e s, s ha r e d St r a us s s opt imis m.
While t he A I F c orr e c t ly not e s t he A E C C ha ir ma n s int e r e s t in fus ion, t he r e is no e vide nc e in St r a us s s pa pe r s a t t he H e r be r t H oove r Pr e s ide nt ia l L ibr a r y t o indic a t e fus ion w a s t he hidde n s ubje c t of his s pe e c h. St a ff s ug g e s t ions for t he a ddr e s s r e fle c t e d c ur r e nt is s ue s in the AE C s c ivilia n r e a c t or pr og r a m t he ne w A t omic E ne r g y A c t, Pr e s ide nt E is e nhow e r s A t oms for Pe a c e, t he Shipping por t nuc le a r pow e r pla nt, t he a g e nc y s e ffor t s t o de c la s s ify infor ma t ion, a nd me dic a l us e s of r e a c t or-pr oduc e d is ot ope s.
While it is t r ue t ha t St r a us s c ould not e x plic it ly dis c us s c la s s ifie d fus ion r e s e a r c h, t he s pe e c h is ba r r e n of implic it hint s of a ne w s our c e of pow e r. St r a us s foc us e d on fis s ion-t he dis c ove r y of fis s ion, fis s ion-pr oduc t a pplic a t ions, a nd t he e c onomic fe a s ibilit y of fis s ion power.
St r a us s s opt imis m for fis s ion c ont inue d s e ve r a l da ys la t e r w he n r e por t e r s on a M e e t t he Pr e s s r a dio br oa dc a s t a s ke d him a bout t he quot a t ion a nd t he via bilit y of c omme r c ia l pow e r fr om a t omic pile s.
St r a us s r e plie d t ha t he e x pe c t e d his c hildr e n a nd g ra ndc hildr e n w ould ha ve pow e r t oo c he a p t o be me t e r e d, jus t a s w e ha ve w a t e r t oda y t ha t s t oo c he a p t o be me t e r e d. T ha t da y, he s a id, mig ht be c los e a t ha nd. I hope t o live t o s e e it.
B y c ont r a s t, w he n St r a us s fina lly r e ve a le d t he A E C s fus ion r e s e a r c h pr og r a m, he w a s not ne a r ly a s opt imis t ic. I n Aug us t 1955, he c a ut ione d t he r e ha s be e n not hing in t he na t ur e of br e a kt hr oug hs t ha t w ould w a r r a nt a nyone a s s uming t ha t t his [fus ion pow e r ] w a s a nyt hing e x c e pt a ve r y long r a ng e a nd I w ould a c c e nt t he w or d ver y pr os pe c t.
I n t he ye a r s a ft e r t he s pe e c h, t he la y public a nd t he pow e r indus t r y ne ve r que s t ione d t ha t St r a us s s pr edic t ions wer e for fis s ion power. T he New Y or k T imes Pulit z er Pr iz e winning s c ienc e r epor t er, Willia m L a ur e nc e, a t t e nde d St r a us s s s pe e c h a nd fe a t ur e d t he c a t c hphr a s e pr omine nt ly in a r t ic le s a nd a book.
H e w r ot e of t he pr e dic t ion, All s ig ns point t o t he r e a liz a t ion w it hin t he ne x t de c a de of a pr ic e for nuc le a r fue ls s o low t ha t only hydr oe le c t r ic pow e r, w hic h a lone is pr oduc e d w it hout a ny c os t for fue l c ould c ompe t e w it h it.
T he e le c t r ic pow e r indus t r y w a s not ha ppy w it h t he ir ne w c a t c hphr a s e. I ndus t r y offic ia ls dis t a nc e d t he ms e lve s fr om St r a us s s s pe e c h, s ome t ime s diploma t ic a lly c a lling St r a us s t oo opt imis t ic.
Ot he r s w e r e blunt. T he pr e s ide nt of C le ve la nd E le c t r ic I llumina t ing dis pa r a g e d t oo c he a p t o me t e r a s a myt h g ive n t he s ma ll c ont r ibut ion fue l c os t s ma de t o a c us t ome r s e le c t r ic bill. E le c t r ic a l Wor ld c a lle d t oo c he a p t o me t e r a de lus ion t ha t w ould ma ke it ha r de r for ut ilit y c o mpa nies t o expla in elec t r ic c os t s t o c us t ome r s. I n t he me a nt ime, t he e dit or s de c la r e d, ut ilit ie s w ould w e lc ome ma ny mor e c us t ome r s w it h a me t e r in e a c h a nd e ve r y one.
T his s ke pt ic is m w a s e c hoe d by mor e s obe r e va lua t ions of nuc le a r pow e r e c onomic s a t t heA E C a nd w it hin t he indus t r y. For me r A E C C ommis s ione r J a me s R a me y w a s pr oba bly c or r e c t w he n he s a id, N obody t ook St r a us s s t a t e m e nt ve r y s e r ious ly.
I t is like ly, t he n, t ha t nuc le a r c r it ic s a nd pr opone nt s a r e pa r t ia lly c or r e c t. T oo c he a p t o me t e r w a s a pr e dic t ion for a fis s ion ut opia in t he for e s e e a ble fut ur e. B ut St r a us s w a s s pe a king for hims e lf.
A s e r ious g ove r nme nt a l body oug ht not t o indulg e in pr e dic t ions, he s a id t o t he s c ie nc e w r it e r s.
H ow e ve r, a s a pe r s on, I s uffe r fr om no s uc h inhibit ion a nd w ill ve nt ur e a fe w pr e dic t ions be for e I c onc lude.
H e ma y ha ve be lie ve d t ha t he c ould s t e p a w a y fr om his C ha ir ma n s r ole, indulg e in s pe c ula t ion, a nd t ha t his t or y w ould not e t he diffe r e nc e.
- L e w is St r a us s s full s pe e c h is a va ila ble in he r e. Too C hea p t o Met er is on pa g e 9.
B y T homa s We lloc k, NR C H is t or ia n