[jpalawaga]

Is there a penalty to discussing the secret projects? Like if your manager/director/vp knew you were talking specifics without some authorized, what would happen?

It sounds like there is no penalty to the nuclear labs except, if you blab to the wrong person, it’s going to stir up trouble.

[alpinisme]

I’ve never heard of anything more happening than being reminded not to do that (pretty much the only time it happens is when someone is talking with product support and lets slip a feature or product they’re working on will solve a complaint about an existing product). I’m sure you’d be fired if it was thought you did it intentionally to spread knowledge of the secret though.

I guess in this case the question comes down (for me) to whether employees at this lab were asked by their managers not to tell friends and acquaintances what they worked on. Even if not with an explicit threat of harm, asking someone not to tell something is pretty much exactly what asking them to keep it a secret means.