Edward Teller (1908–2003) was a Hungarian-born nuclear physicist sometimes called "the father of the hydrogen bomb". A proponent of peace by having overwhelming nuclear superiority, Teller's accent and brusque manner may have become a model for the portrayal of "mad scientists" today. One anecdote about the original Manhattan Project to create a working hydrogen bomb says that Teller stopped work when he needed to rule out the possibility that detonating the bomb might spontaneously ignite the hydrogen in Earth's atmosphere, thus destroying all life. While the possibility remained theoretical, the hydrogen bomb was still tested.
Teller practices refer to techinques of mass destruction, especially when the results of them are unpredictable, and where this very threat of chaotic mass destruction is implied during negotations. A Teller-class being (or sometimes, simply a "Teller") refers to any sentient who possesses some sort of ability that can have catastrophic, wide-reaching, and ultimately unknowable results (such as the unrestrained use of nanotechnology), especially when said being asserts their superiority.