During my years at the synchrotron laboratory, I had become interested in the theory of quantum electrodynamics and had decided that what I would most like to do after completing my dissertation work was to probe the short-distance behavior of the electromagnetic interaction.

Burton Richter

Categorized in : Like Become Work Behavior

Innovation and renewal are required to keep a laboratory on the frontiers of science.

Burton Richter

renewal laboratory innovation

Modern science is fast-moving, and no laboratory can exist for long with a program based on old facilities. Innovation and renewal are required to keep a laboratory on the frontiers of science.

Burton Richter

innovation long moving

Starving the future to feed the present is a mistake - it leads to obsolescence and stagnation. Sometimes it is hard to make this understood.

Burton Richter

obsolescence mistake sometimes

In 1948 I entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, undecided between studies of chemistry and physics, but my first year convinced me that physics was more interesting to me.

Burton Richter

technology years interesting

I was born on 22 March 1931 in New York, the elder child of Abraham and Fanny Richter.

Burton Richter

march new-york children

Since stepping down as laboratory director in 1999, I have devoted an increasing fraction of my time to international issues. I am involved with energy, environment, and sustainability issues, particularly as they involve new energy sources free of greenhouse gases.

Burton Richter

issues energy directors

While a lab Director can get done the things that he regards as important, he has the more important job of bringing out the best ideas of the broader scientific community.

Burton Richter

community jobs ideas

Getting enough energy to satisfy the needs of the developing world without bringing on an eco-disaster is not going to be easy. It will require a marriage of science and technology with good international policy, something that is always hard to bring off. We need to get it right this time.

Burton Richter

technology energy needs

Is the sky falling? No. It's maybe drooping a bit.

Burton Richter

falling maybe bit sky

I got no thrill from solving an integral equation, but I did get a thrill from building an exotic piece of equipment that worked.

Burton Richter

got get thrill building

For nuclear power to have a future, we'll either need more Yucca Mountains or a way to decrease the stuff we put there.

Burton Richter

mountains future power way

While a lab director can get done the things that he regards as important, he has the more important job of bringing out the best ideas of the broader scientific community. I learned this early in my career while I was leading the construction of the SPEAR facility.

Burton Richter

best job community ideas

In 1960, I married Laurose Becker. We have two children: Elizabeth, born in 1961, and Matthew, born in 1963.

Burton Richter

married born two children

During my first year as a graduate student, we worked on a measurement of the isotope shift and hyperfine structure of mercury isotopes.

Burton Richter

student first year structure

Total failure isn't something I want to spend a lot of time envisioning. I'm pretty sure I'll recognize it if it comes.

Burton Richter

something failure want time

Theorists can create all sorts of theories which go beyond the Standard Model. But there's not one bit of experimental evidence to point out which way you should go.

Burton Richter

beyond go you way

What I found was that I thoroughly enjoyed the plumbing of experiment.

Burton Richter

experiment plumbing enjoyed found

What lots of people have been trying to do ever since is find what's beyond the current Standard Model. So far, it has stood impervious to all attacks.

Burton Richter

beyond find trying people

What struck me first on reading the Ten Hoeve-Jacobson paper was how small the consequences of the radiation release from the Fukushima reactor accident are projected to be compared to the devastation wrought by the giant earthquake and tsunami.

Burton Richter

earthquake small me reading

The sun doesn't shine at night, and wind power is highly variable. To meet our emissions goals, we're going to have to grasp every arrow in the quiver, and nuclear is one of those arrows.

Burton Richter

goals power sun night