Despite all the hubbub, not everyone was against the testing of nuclear weapons. In fact, some people were very much for it. The proponents of nuclear testing felt it was necessary to continue pursuing such research for both the good of humanity and the safety of the United States. Their argument in regard to national security went something like this: the USSR may support the PTBT, but there is no guarantee they will actually comply. Therefore, the U.S. needs to continue testing of all kinds to stay ahead in the nuclear power game.

It is possible that no one was more in favor of nuclear testing than Edward Teller. In the 1930s, Teller left his home country of Hungary for the U.S. He was a major player in the Manhattan Project, the U.S. government's secret nuclear research, and he significantly contributed to the creation of the atom bombs that eventually destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He also greatly contributed to the development of thermonuclear weapons.

The guy loved nukes and was all for testing them whenever and wherever. During the domestic debates leading up to the ratification of the PTBT (which he was against), he claimed that radioactive fallout just, like, wasn't a thing. When he was finally called out for being wrong about this, he admitted it was a thing, but it just wasn't dangerous.

False.

Teller was a controversial figure his entire life. He eventually lost ties with the broader scientific community but always somehow found support from the military for his ethically questionable ideas. Perhaps this is why he is sometimes referred to as the "Father of the Hydrogen Bomb."

Perhaps this is why he's also sometimes referred to by a whole variety of other names as well. If you catch our drift.