This is the reality of nuclear weapons: they may trigger a world war; a war which, unlike previous ones, destroys all of civilization.
Joseph RotblatRead
But the first the general public learned about the discovery was the news of the destruction of Hiroshima by the atom bomb. A splendid achievement of science and technology had turned malign. Science became identified with death and destruction.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on how scientific achievements can lead to destructive outcomes, particularly in the context of the atomic bomb.
Joseph Rotblat's quote highlights the paradox of scientific advancement, where the incredible achievements of science and technology, such as atomic energy, can result in catastrophic consequences like the destruction of Hiroshima. It emphasizes the moral implications of scientific discoveries and how they can be perceived negatively when associated with death and destruction, prompting a reflection on the responsibilities of scientists and society.
Themes
ScienceTechnologyDestructionResponsibilityAtomic Bomb
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on ethics in science, one might quote Rotblat to stress the importance of considering the consequences of scientific research.
More from Joseph Rotblat
All quotes →If the militarily most powerful and least threatened states need nuclear weapons for their security, how can one deny such security to countries that are truly insecure? The present nuclear policy is a recipe for proliferation. It is a policy for disaster.
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The quest for a war-free world has a basic purpose: survival. But if in the process we learn how to achieve it by love rather than by fear, by kindness rather than by compulsion; if in the process we learn to combine the essential with the enjoyable, the expedient with the benevolent, the practical with the beautiful, this will be an extra incentive to embark on this great task.
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Indeed, the whole human species is endangered, by nuclear weapons or by other means of wholesale destruction which further advances in science are likely to produce.
Joseph RotblatRead
Technology is driving us together. In many ways we are becoming like one family. With the global threats resulting from science and technology, the whole of humankind now needs protection. We have to extend our loyalty to the whole of the human race.
Joseph RotblatRead
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