A while back, I quoted an interview snippet that encapsulated a strain of idealism in early nuclear power history. Far easier to spot in the historical record is the motivation of pioneering, of working in a brand new exciting field. I quoted Sellafield physicist Graham Brightman in that earlier post. Let me feature Brightman again:
I moved over to work at the then very new shining Calder reactors and rose from an experimental officer to a scientific officer. What we were doing was at various forefronts, of science and technology. It was new, it was exciting, and people looked forward to going into work on a Monday morning. There were new things to be discovered, new avenues to follow, and some of the important scientific and engineering discussions took place in the tea bar.
NOTE
Davies, Hunter, ed. 2012. Sellafield Stories: Life In Britain’s First Nuclear Plant. Constable, London., p. 105