A Nuclear Disaster
I woke up this morning with an instant revelation on my mind. This was based on the Presidential speech the other night talking about the dangers of North Korea obtaining a nuclear weapon. The dangers of such an outlook for this world in the nuclear age are really starting to concern and frighten me. I honestly believe that we will see another nuclear device detonated somewhere, maybe not on U.S. soil, in the next 5-7 years. Too many countries and factions are trying to obtain such weapons. The nuclear threat now comes from Iran, North Korea, and any terrorist who can secure nuclear material and develop such a device. The ramifications of man's desire to obtain such power are downright apocalyptic.
Before I explain more about the situation which faces the generations and people of our current time, we must look back exactly 100 years ago, to 1905. Perhaps one of the greatest geniuses of our time, Albert Einstein, had just developed the astounding task of developing a theory which would make so many things possible over the next century, it's utterly ridiculous (I will stick to the original topic, my ramblings about Einstein and his genius work are thoughts for another time.....). THE THEORY OF SPECIAL RELATIVITY. The theory which explains our current understandings of time, space, mass, and energy. The sad fact is, Einstein's genius was perverted.
Not to go into details about the theory, but with this theory, Einstein explained time and space and how it related to the phenomenon of light. Although he relied on previous theories before him (Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism, the transformation of Lorentz, the confirmed constancy of the speed of light in a vaccuum), those who know me know that I still think Einstein was genius to bring this all together. First, Einstein developed this theory like any other great scientist would, to KNOW and UNDERSTAND the universe.
Secondly, (and I find this utterly ironic), the "goal" of this theory was not that which initiated the dawn of the nuclear age, and that which Einstein is noted for, the famous equation equating mass and energy, E=MC2. This famous formula was actually simply a *by-product* of the original theory of special relativity, which sought more to explain the phenomenon and workings of the space-time continuum. E=MC2 was basically a *spin-off* of the theory, which I find amazing (in fact, if you read Einstein's Relativity, a book explaining his theories of special and general relativity to the general masses, E=MC2 is derived in 1-2 paragraphs with a footnote at the bottom of the page, with no other mention in the entire book!)
After the other amazements of special relativity are understood, we're still left with E=MC2. Einstein and other scientists became interested in the ramifications of this profound equation later on (considering it totally changed our view of energy and mass and atomic physics forever!) Another amazement is the vast outpouring of knowledge that continued to come from other scientists from this time (a "renaissance", if you will) which also helped develop the nuclear age.
The milieu which had to have occurred in the first half of the 20th century in order to finally lead to the development of the Manhattan project is even more astonishing. Atomic theory was in it's infancy, and together with Einstein's discoveries and a new world war (WWII), the mixing pot was just right to begin the first step to the destruction of mankind. Einstein and other scientists postulated that it would perhaps be possible to harness the power of the atom's strong and weak nuclear forces (which, along with gravity and electromagnetism, are the 2 of the universe's 4 fundamental forces) to develop an atomic bomb (stemming from his original discovery of E=MC2, the discovery of the atom, and of course numerous other realizations and discoveries concerning relativity and quantum theory).
The irony of all this is that Einstein was afraid Nazi Germany would make this discovery first (the Germans had successfully split the uranium atom in 1938), and so he wrote to President Roosevelt (FDR) in 1939 concerning this matter, and urging that the United States develop the bomb first. Although we could debate hours whether this was the right choice or not, I believe this nevertheless was the "point of no return" leading to the "craze" for countries and factions to pervert Einstein's theories for their own greed and power, in their drunken desire to obtain power and win silly wars, with the resulting death of thousands of innocent bystanders at Hiroshima and Nagasaki as the first victims in this quest for power. (Perhaps millions or billions in the future?)
History continued. The atomic bomb was developed very quickly by the U.S., fearing the Nazis might unleash the power of the atom first. Several years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Truman made his decision (again, a little too quickly in my opinion, but he did so in order to "save" lives down the road in a long war. Little did he know that perhaps the fate of millions were also decided in that instant). As well, the secrecy about such an endeavor, and the fact that such a weapon with this enormous power had never been seen before on planet earth, led to the element of suprise for the United States' enemy.
August 6, 1945. Hiroshima, Japan. ~80,000 people EVAPORATED in an instant. Thousands more died in the days and months afterwards. What a dangerous precedent to set. After the bomb was dropped, Einstein seemed to become concerned about the direction this was going, and he wrote numerous letters and essays concerning the dangers of this vast nuclear power (peep Einstein's Ideas & Opinions, a collection of essays written by Einstein concerning everything from religion, to politics, to physics).
Before I explain more about the situation which faces the generations and people of our current time, we must look back exactly 100 years ago, to 1905. Perhaps one of the greatest geniuses of our time, Albert Einstein, had just developed the astounding task of developing a theory which would make so many things possible over the next century, it's utterly ridiculous (I will stick to the original topic, my ramblings about Einstein and his genius work are thoughts for another time.....). THE THEORY OF SPECIAL RELATIVITY. The theory which explains our current understandings of time, space, mass, and energy. The sad fact is, Einstein's genius was perverted.
Not to go into details about the theory, but with this theory, Einstein explained time and space and how it related to the phenomenon of light. Although he relied on previous theories before him (Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism, the transformation of Lorentz, the confirmed constancy of the speed of light in a vaccuum), those who know me know that I still think Einstein was genius to bring this all together. First, Einstein developed this theory like any other great scientist would, to KNOW and UNDERSTAND the universe.
Secondly, (and I find this utterly ironic), the "goal" of this theory was not that which initiated the dawn of the nuclear age, and that which Einstein is noted for, the famous equation equating mass and energy, E=MC2. This famous formula was actually simply a *by-product* of the original theory of special relativity, which sought more to explain the phenomenon and workings of the space-time continuum. E=MC2 was basically a *spin-off* of the theory, which I find amazing (in fact, if you read Einstein's Relativity, a book explaining his theories of special and general relativity to the general masses, E=MC2 is derived in 1-2 paragraphs with a footnote at the bottom of the page, with no other mention in the entire book!)
After the other amazements of special relativity are understood, we're still left with E=MC2. Einstein and other scientists became interested in the ramifications of this profound equation later on (considering it totally changed our view of energy and mass and atomic physics forever!) Another amazement is the vast outpouring of knowledge that continued to come from other scientists from this time (a "renaissance", if you will) which also helped develop the nuclear age.
The milieu which had to have occurred in the first half of the 20th century in order to finally lead to the development of the Manhattan project is even more astonishing. Atomic theory was in it's infancy, and together with Einstein's discoveries and a new world war (WWII), the mixing pot was just right to begin the first step to the destruction of mankind. Einstein and other scientists postulated that it would perhaps be possible to harness the power of the atom's strong and weak nuclear forces (which, along with gravity and electromagnetism, are the 2 of the universe's 4 fundamental forces) to develop an atomic bomb (stemming from his original discovery of E=MC2, the discovery of the atom, and of course numerous other realizations and discoveries concerning relativity and quantum theory).
The irony of all this is that Einstein was afraid Nazi Germany would make this discovery first (the Germans had successfully split the uranium atom in 1938), and so he wrote to President Roosevelt (FDR) in 1939 concerning this matter, and urging that the United States develop the bomb first. Although we could debate hours whether this was the right choice or not, I believe this nevertheless was the "point of no return" leading to the "craze" for countries and factions to pervert Einstein's theories for their own greed and power, in their drunken desire to obtain power and win silly wars, with the resulting death of thousands of innocent bystanders at Hiroshima and Nagasaki as the first victims in this quest for power. (Perhaps millions or billions in the future?)
History continued. The atomic bomb was developed very quickly by the U.S., fearing the Nazis might unleash the power of the atom first. Several years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Truman made his decision (again, a little too quickly in my opinion, but he did so in order to "save" lives down the road in a long war. Little did he know that perhaps the fate of millions were also decided in that instant). As well, the secrecy about such an endeavor, and the fact that such a weapon with this enormous power had never been seen before on planet earth, led to the element of suprise for the United States' enemy.
August 6, 1945. Hiroshima, Japan. ~80,000 people EVAPORATED in an instant. Thousands more died in the days and months afterwards. What a dangerous precedent to set. After the bomb was dropped, Einstein seemed to become concerned about the direction this was going, and he wrote numerous letters and essays concerning the dangers of this vast nuclear power (peep Einstein's Ideas & Opinions, a collection of essays written by Einstein concerning everything from religion, to politics, to physics).
In fact, in 1944, several months before the bomb was dropped, Einstein wrote to Niels Bohr (one of the founders of atomic theory and quantum mechanics) concerning the bomb: "When the war is over, then there will be in all countries a pursuit of secret war preparations with technological means which will lead inevitably to preventative wars and to destruction even more terrible than the present destruction of life."
What made all of this even harder to swallow for Einstein was the fact that he first wrote to FDR because he was concerned about Nazi Germany obtaining the bomb first, and he never intended for the bomb to be used against Japan (Nazi Germany had already surrendered 3 months before the first bomb was dropped). Einstein seemed upset about the decisions of Truman to drop a bomb on Japan, as evidenced by a front-page article in the NY Times almost a year after the bombs were dropped: "Prof. Albert Einstein...said that he was sure that President Roosevelt would have forbidden the atomic bombing of Hiroshima had he been alive and that it was probably carried out to end the Pacific war before Russia could participate." Even later on in Einstein's career: "I have always condemned the use of the atomic bomb against Japan." And several months before he died: "I made one great mistake in my life....when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made; but there was some justification - the danger that the Germans would make them."
Again, a debate for another time is whether we REALLY needed to unleash this type of power on mankind. 1 step made down a dangerous, dangerous slope. 40 years prior, Einstein started with a simple yet brilliant thought to understand the universe. I definitely do not blame Einstein for this (those who know me know I love Einstein and think he was one of the greatest and most brilliant of men that ever lived). I blame the people who perverted his genius for their own greed and power.
60 years later brings us to the present. The nuclear age is upon us, and it's getting much worse. I honestly don't believe that this current generation UNDERSTANDS what a nuclear bomb really IS. I hear people say all the time about enemy countries, "why don't we just nuke them?" Even more scary, the devices we have today are even more powerful than Fat Man and Little Boy, which destroyed two entire cities in the flash of an instant. Yes, politicians and the scientists that work for them have now developed enough nuclear power in their weapons to easily destroy the entire planet (I will not even debate here the run-up of arms between the U.S. and former Soviet Union).
This day is a scary age. Perhaps we will avoid such a disaster diplomatically (God knows no good can come from war.) I can't even imagine the fears of the generation before me, who thought at any time a mushroom cloud could be seen in their backyards, launched from the USSR, although even during my elementary school years I still remember having atomic bomb drills, though we didn't have a fallout shelter. But even though the USSR is gone, new threats are upon us.
Again, for another blog, we can debate whether we should allow Iran and North Korea to obtain nukes. Afterall, if we're allowed to have hundreds and thousands of them, why shouldn't they be allowed to as well? (Yeah, yeah I know, they're TYRANTS!!). The other scary thought is that nowadays terrorists and single small factions could obtain these weapons. You don't even need the backing provided with the money and the power of a government to make one of these!!
I guess only time will tell, but do not be mistaken, these are scary times. Atomic weapons are a complete perversion of the genius of scientists trying to explain the phenomena of the universe, including Albert Einstein. The quest for this knowledge is a benign journey, yet the knowledge was obtained and used by greedy people to threaten others in their own quest for nothing but POWER. If this greed continues, it will affect and consume us all. Sad how man, though created or evolved to dominate and *protect* the planet, will ultimately become the institutor of the demise of all the creatures of the earth (I see this phenomena daily, not only with nuclear weapons, but with the destruction of the environment, the hunting of endangered species, etc.) I feel sorry for the rest of God's creation, whose ultimate destruction in the exception of mankind would probably have come from nature in the form of catastrophe from outer space by a asteroid or large meteor. They and innocent people will thus suffer from those few minority of men who make the decisions and make them in the interest of their own selfish reasons. But I am not alone in this endeavor to abolish the evil use of the power contained within the very substance that makes you and I and the rest of the matter in the universe. Hundreds before me have tauted the dangers of the path that we have paved over the last 60 years. I only hope that those who have control over such matters realize that, although so much good can come from Albert Einstein's discoveries, the flipside of his knowledge may be the very thing that destroys us.
60 years later brings us to the present. The nuclear age is upon us, and it's getting much worse. I honestly don't believe that this current generation UNDERSTANDS what a nuclear bomb really IS. I hear people say all the time about enemy countries, "why don't we just nuke them?" Even more scary, the devices we have today are even more powerful than Fat Man and Little Boy, which destroyed two entire cities in the flash of an instant. Yes, politicians and the scientists that work for them have now developed enough nuclear power in their weapons to easily destroy the entire planet (I will not even debate here the run-up of arms between the U.S. and former Soviet Union).
This day is a scary age. Perhaps we will avoid such a disaster diplomatically (God knows no good can come from war.) I can't even imagine the fears of the generation before me, who thought at any time a mushroom cloud could be seen in their backyards, launched from the USSR, although even during my elementary school years I still remember having atomic bomb drills, though we didn't have a fallout shelter. But even though the USSR is gone, new threats are upon us.
Again, for another blog, we can debate whether we should allow Iran and North Korea to obtain nukes. Afterall, if we're allowed to have hundreds and thousands of them, why shouldn't they be allowed to as well? (Yeah, yeah I know, they're TYRANTS!!). The other scary thought is that nowadays terrorists and single small factions could obtain these weapons. You don't even need the backing provided with the money and the power of a government to make one of these!!
I guess only time will tell, but do not be mistaken, these are scary times. Atomic weapons are a complete perversion of the genius of scientists trying to explain the phenomena of the universe, including Albert Einstein. The quest for this knowledge is a benign journey, yet the knowledge was obtained and used by greedy people to threaten others in their own quest for nothing but POWER. If this greed continues, it will affect and consume us all. Sad how man, though created or evolved to dominate and *protect* the planet, will ultimately become the institutor of the demise of all the creatures of the earth (I see this phenomena daily, not only with nuclear weapons, but with the destruction of the environment, the hunting of endangered species, etc.) I feel sorry for the rest of God's creation, whose ultimate destruction in the exception of mankind would probably have come from nature in the form of catastrophe from outer space by a asteroid or large meteor. They and innocent people will thus suffer from those few minority of men who make the decisions and make them in the interest of their own selfish reasons. But I am not alone in this endeavor to abolish the evil use of the power contained within the very substance that makes you and I and the rest of the matter in the universe. Hundreds before me have tauted the dangers of the path that we have paved over the last 60 years. I only hope that those who have control over such matters realize that, although so much good can come from Albert Einstein's discoveries, the flipside of his knowledge may be the very thing that destroys us.
posted by J-Mart @ 9:02 AM
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