All of the labs I’ve been to, including ones doing “weapons development” (shorthand for nuclear weapons programs, at least amongst my colleagues, who were not c

All of the labs I’ve been to, including ones doing “weapons development” (shorthand for nuclear weapons programs, at least amongst my colleagues, who were not connected to those programs directly), have been very much like other areas of academia. Significantly more security, of course, and there are restricted areas, but generally quite nice, and I don’t think anyone who is used to working in a research lab or research university would feel out of place. Far more spooky is the lack of amenities. I did my PhD in a program where I worked some of the time at Brookhaven National Lab, and both the dorm and cafeteria there were just embarrassing. It honestly was one of the reasons I left academia after awhile. It was hard to feel appreciated when your tiny dorm rooms frequently had broken AC/heat/refrigerators, and you shared your space with (impressively large) bugs.