Originally Posted by
noflynomore
Teller was one of the top three or four most innovative and brilliant scientists involved in the conceptualising, building and developmant of atomic weapons and to belittle his ability like that is extraordinarily smug, even with such evident 100% knowledge from hindsight (!!).
They were working in unexplored territory, and there were huge uncertainties (including the possibility, which was real enough for some scientists to have a bet on it, that Trinity would ignite the atmosphere). I don't have any idea whether Teller was better or worse at yield estimates than any one else. But all the histories I have read suggest that he was by no means a major asset when it came to weapon design, being too undisciplined to do the work assigned to him, and the Teller-Ulam design is named that for a reason (chiefly, that Teller was senior so his name had to go first). His chief attraction in some quarters was political.