Burton Richter

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

I've become interested in the impact of climate change on the world and the future of energy needs for the developing world. ”

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. ”

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. ”

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. ”

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. ”

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