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Rickover has been sanctified in all the nuclear circles. His paper reactor quote is parroted ad nauseam. Your perspective is refreshing. Basically pigeonholed humanity into highly regulated, militaristic, and exclusively lwr tech. Other countries had too little confidence and too much need for US financial support to break away and define their own nuclear tech and industry.

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Rickover was remarkably effective, but as human he was a 1st class creep. Rockwell tells this story. Rickover and he are walking through Washington National when one of the ticket agents waves at them. Rickover asks Rockwell what's that about. Rockwell says "that's the girl who's dating Gene Rodgers". Rodgers was one of Rickover's senior engineers. Rickover walks up to the lady and says "Arent you the woman who is dating Rodgers?", She says "Why, yes sir, he's very nice." Rickover says "He's married", which was false and walks away.

See also his response to the Thresher sinking, and his disavowal of the TMI operators whom he had trained to respond incorrectly to the casualty sequence they faced.

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