The Resume

(July 2, 1906-March 6, 2005)
Born in Strasbourg, France
German-American nuclear physicist
Naturalized US citizen (1941)
Played important roles in developing the atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb
Won the Nobel Prize in Physics for work on stellar nucelosynthesis (1967)
Last name pronounced 'Bay-tah'

Why he might be annoying:

Before joining the Manhattan Project, he said, 'I considered an atomic bomb so remote that I completely refused to have anything to do with it.'
He publicly campaigned against the development of the hydrogen bomb, then helped create it.
He said, 'Sometimes I wish I were a more consistent idealist.'

Why he might not be annoying:

He was married to Rose Ewald for 65 years until his death.
He was an avid mountain climber.
Even before he joined the Manhattan Project, his contributions to ballistics and radar prompted Time magazine to call him 'one of Nazi Germany's greatest gifts to the United States.' (1940)
He was one of the primary campaigners for the Partial Test Ban Treaty prohibiting atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons (1963).
He was so prolific over such a long time that a colleague wrote, 'You might be inclined to think he is really several people, all of whom are engaged in a conspiracy to sign their work with the same name.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 20th Century Scientists
• An Asteroid was Named in My Honor (Ranked: 30828)
• Born Half-Jewish
• Brothers and Sisters, I Have None
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 35]
• I Died in 2005 (Ranked: 98)
• I Earned a Doctorate
• Look at Me, I'm Reading
• Look at My Blackboard or Whiteboard
• Manhattan Project
• Nobel Prize for Physics (Ranked: 1967)
• Philatelists [Stamp Collectors]
• Profiles 31001-31250 (Ranked: 31164)
• Scientists
• We Celebrated Our Golden Anniversary

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 16.67% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 36 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 12 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 27 Votes: 59.26% Annoying