The reactor... had to contain material to decelerate the neutrons. Fermi, in his straightforward way, called this material a "slower downer". That term got under my skin so much that I was forced to think up a different term. I chose "moderator" and it stuck.


Geons, Black Holes, and Quantum Foam, Chapter 2 (p. 40)

John Archibald Wheeler Quotes

The reactor... had to contain material to decelerate the neutrons. Fermi, in his straightforward way, called this material a slower downer. That term ...

The reactor... had to contain material to decelerate the neutrons. Fermi, in his straightforward way, called this material a slower downer. That term ...

The reactor... had to contain material to decelerate the neutrons. Fermi, in his straightforward way, called this material a slower downer. That term ...

The reactor... had to contain material to decelerate the neutrons. Fermi, in his straightforward way, called this material a slower downer. That term ...