Word: scientists
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1950-1959
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Intent on those two aims-service to his adopted country and the cooperation of scientists in the pursuit of truth-Hungarian-born Scientist Teller carefully refrains from raking over the old controversy about whether an H-bomb should be attempted. He says he does not know enough to write of the political controversy over the H-bomb, "but I feel that great gratitude is due to the men who in those difficult weeks [after the Soviet atomic explosion about Sept. 1, 1949] arrived at the correct conclusions," i.e., to proceed with all possible speed toward the development...
...scientist expected to be able to arrange thermonuclear reactions similar to those they studied in the stars; the required heat seemed unattainable. In 1938 Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner discovered nuclear fission, and their discovery led directly to the Abomb. And fission, with its intense release of energy, also suggested that conditions could be created under which thermonuclear reactions might occur. The late Enrico Fermi in 1942 suggested to Teller that fission could be used to start thermonuclear reaction in deuterium (heavy hydrogen). "After a few weeks of hard thought," Teller recalls, "I decided that deuterium could not be ignited...
...Princeton's Institute of Advanced Study, where he came to consider Oppenheimer, the Institute's director, as "certainly one of the great thinkers of our day." "It was a great experience to know Oppenheimer," he said, "but I am doing this not because of may friendship with the scientist, but because of an infringement of academic propriety. No self-respecting scholar could talk there...
...special arguments used against scientists and judges who participate in politics apply with equal force against most other active American thinkers. If a scientist holds political influence far beyond his political authority, so do ministers, doctors, educators, and business men. It would seem to follow that all should hesitate to speak, for fear that their words might imply that their opinions were echoed by America's great institutions. Men of intellect would remove themselves from political controversy, leaving democracy to deal in debased currency...
...nuclear scientists, especially, moral assertion is increasingly necessary. Devoted pursuit of knowledge leads the scientist to discovery of terrifying weapons, yet moral consciousness obliges him to counsel moderation. Conspiracy to withhold scientific information is treason; it is in politics that scientists must combat the forces that drive America toward devastation...