Richard Baker’s Interview
Dr. Richard D. Baker worked at the Ames Laboratory before transferring to Los Alamos. In this interview, Baker discusses the science and safety concerns involved in the early work with plutonium and uranium. Baker describes the numerous difficulties in achieving the purity required in producing uranium. He also highlights how interesting and thrilling it was to be conducting scientific research that, at the time, was completely new and unknown. He also discusses his move to Los Alamos, and how Oppenheimer persuaded him to pursue the move.