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On moving fast and breaking things
Craig Piercycpiercy@ans.org
So much of what is happening in federal nuclear policy these days seems driven by a common approach popularized in the technology sector. Silicon Valley calls it “move fast and break things,” a phrase originally associated with Facebook’s early culture under Mark Zuckerberg. The idea emerged in the early 2000s as software companies discovered that rapid iteration, frequent experimentation, and a willingness to tolerate failure could dramatically accelerate innovation. This philosophy helped drive the growth of the social media, smartphones, cloud computing, and digital platforms that now underpin modern economic and social life.
Today, that mindset is also influencing federal nuclear policy. The Trump administration views accelerated nuclear deployment as part of a broader competition with China for technological and AI leadership. In that context, it seems willing to accept greater operational risk in pursuit of strategic advantage and long-term economic and security objectives.
Norman Hilberry was the 11th president of the American Nuclear Society and a charter member of the Society. He was also the first recipient of the Arthur Holly Compton Award in Education in 1967.
Norman Hilberry was born on March 11, 1899. He began his career as an Assistant in Physics at the University of Chicago in 1922, after getting his bachelor’s degree. In 1925, he moved to New York University, where he was first an Instructor in Physics at Washington Square College and then moved on to the College of Arts and Sciences.
In 1942, he joined the Manhattan Project, and a year later, became Assistant Director.
Following the war, in 1946, he moved to Argonne National Laboratory, starting as Assistant Director, and then moving on to Deputy Director. Between 1955 and 1956, he also served as the Director for Argonne’s International School for Nuclear Science and Engineering. From 1957 to 1961, he served as Director, and in 1961, became a Senior Scientist.
In 1964, he left Argonne to become a Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Arizona, serving in that position until 1985, when he became Professor Emeritus until his death a year later.
During his career, he also held a number of directorships and advisory committee positions, including: Member, Board of Directors, Atomic Industry Forum (1961-1968); Member, Advisory Committee on U.S. Policy Toward the International Atomic Energy Agency, U.S. Department of State (1962); Member, Advisory Committee, U.S. Office of Emergency Preparedness, National Academy of Sciences (1968-1973); Member, Arizona Atomic Energy Commission (1969-1980); and Consultant, Subcommittee on the Public Understanding of Science, National Science Foundation (1977-1981).
He held a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College (1921) and a PhD in physics from the University of Chicago (1941).
Norman Hilberry passed away on March 28, 1986.
