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The energy produced by the breaking down of the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.
Ernest Rutherford
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Rutherford critiques the idea that nuclear energy can be a viable power source, suggesting it is unrealistic.

In this quote, Ernest Rutherford expresses skepticism about the potential of atomic energy as a feasible power source, describing it as 'moonshine'—a term implying that the ideas surrounding the transformation of atoms into energy are fanciful and impractical. He indicates that while nuclear reactions are scientifically fascinating, the application of this energy for practical power generation is misguided and not grounded in reality.

Themes

NuclearEnergyAtomPowerMoonshine

In practice

Example use cases

In a debate about renewable resources, one might reference Rutherford's skepticism about nuclear energy.

More from Ernest Rutherford

That which is not measurable is not science. That which is not physics is stamp collecting.
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I am a great believer in the simplicity of things and as you probably know I am inclined to hang on to broad & simple ideas like grim death until evidence is too strong for my tenacity.
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All science is either physics or stamp collecting.
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Now I know what the atom looks like.
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If your result needs a statistician then you should design a better experiment.
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Should a young scientist working with me come to me after two years of such work and ask me what to do next, I would advise him to get out of science. After two years of work, if a man does not know what to do next, he will never make a real scientist.
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