# How did Edward Teller miss his prediction by such a wide margin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-edward-teller-miss-his-prediction-by-such-a-wide-margin/324642 "2005-10-03T21:17:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-edward-teller-miss-his-prediction-by-such-a-wide-margin/324642/21 "2005-10-31T05:37:27Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > At that time we had no airplanes that could carry the A-bomb to 40000 ft. And we had no way of releasing it and holding it at that altitude before detonation so that the release plane could escape the blast. No, but you did have Dr Wernher von Braun\*. Not sure of the carrying capacity of a V2 vs weight of Thin Man, but … - Ob-TL-quote: “whose allegience was ruled by expedience”. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-edward-teller-miss-his-prediction-by-such-a-wide-margin/324642/22 "2005-10-31T06:06:21Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > No, but you did have Dr Wernher von Braun\*. Not sure of the carrying capacity of a V2 vs weight of Thin Man, but … > > - Ob-TL-quote: “whose allegience was ruled by expedience”. That’s why in [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6741949&postcount=20) I wrote that it was probably beyond anyone’s ability in 1945. The [V2 missile](http://www.v2rocket.com/start/makeup/design.html) weighed 28000 lb at liftoff with a 2000 lb. warhead. [Little Boy and Fat Man](http://www.ww2guide.com/atombomb.shtml) weighed 9700 and 10000 lb. respectively.(scroll well down for pictures of both, with data) Straw grasping if I ever saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-edward-teller-miss-his-prediction-by-such-a-wide-margin/324642/23 "2005-11-01T05:04:43Z")
So if you strapped 5 of the V2s together … > [@David Simmons](#): > > Straw grasping if I ever saw it. I’ve barely begun. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-edward-teller-miss-his-prediction-by-such-a-wide-margin/324642/24 "2005-11-01T05:10:26Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > So if you strapped 5 of the V2s together … > > I’ve barely begun. Teller could have used you. I suppose we could launch then from … hmmm, let’s see, what launch sites did we have all ready to go within 150 miles of Yokohama? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-edward-teller-miss-his-prediction-by-such-a-wide-margin/324642/25 "2005-11-01T14:24:00Z")
Teller went from cautious scientist to dangerous nutjob in quick order. His plans for “geographic engineering” were outlandish and ill-conceived. Two examples were his vision of an experiment in Alaska to use nuclear devices to create a harbor, regardless of the danger to people and ecosystems, and his idea of melting the world’s icepacks to flood the deserts. Read [The Firecracker Boys](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312134169/104-2356369-6139918?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance) for a disturbing tale of what he was up to. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-edward-teller-miss-his-prediction-by-such-a-wide-margin/324642.md?page=1)