We all know that scientists and engineers are among the most respected professionals in the world. Many inspire and work tirelessly towards that goal, making significant contributions to humanity, such as the discovery of gravity and the invention of electricity, which have greatly benefited our lives. However, some have regretted their inventions.
Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel was the first to regret his invention. He regretted inventing the stabilizing component of dynamite. When dynamite was first invented, it was precarious and prone to explosions, causing many casualties. Nobel’s work made dynamite more stable, which led to its widespread use in warfare. Seeing his invention used for war caused Nobel great distress, and he spent his life advocating for the peaceful use of explosives.
Nobel’s will reflects his ideals and the culmination of his efforts. Despite his immense wealth, he chose not to distribute his fortune among his relatives. He believed that large inheritances hinder human potential and that wealthy people should only leave their children enough for education. Leaving too much money, he thought, would encourage laziness and prevent them from developing their talents. Therefore, against the wishes of his relatives, he decided to use his entire fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes, which reward the world’s top achievers.
Mikhail Kalashnikov
The second is Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the AK-47 assault rifle. Kalashnikov, the son of a Siberian farmer, never completed his formal education but exhibited gifted engineering skills while at a weapons design bureau.
He conceived the idea for the weapon while recovering from injuries sustained in the Battle of Bryansk against Nazi forces in 1941. He initially invented the rifle to protect his homeland, as he often heard his comrades complain about the poor quality and danger of their rifles. He modified the weapon, leading to the creation of the AK-47. In the name AK-47, “A” stands for automatic, “K” stands for Kalashnikov, and “47” represents the year it went into production, 1947.
Kalashnikov received much praise from Russian leaders and was awarded the Hero of Russia medal for success. However, he never profited financially from the AK-47, as it was never patented. Kalashnikov’s invention spread to war-torn countries, causing many deaths. It has been estimated that some 100 million AK-47s have been produced — fully half of them outside Russia — and many of those under expired Soviet-era licenses or no license at all. He spent his later years in guilt and regret for creating such a deadly invention.
Julius Robert Oppenheimer
The third and perhaps most famous is J. Robert Oppenheimer. He was an American theoretical physicist who served as the director of the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II. For his role in overseeing the development of the first nuclear weapon, he is often called the “father of the atomic bomb.”
Witnesses to the first result of that work, the Trinity test, reported that Oppenheimer’s reaction during the test was simply that of relief and satisfaction. Still, only 11 days after the bombing of Hiroshima, on August 17, 1945, he expressed in writing to the U.S. government his desire for nuclear weapons to be banned. Two months later, he would tell President Harry S. Truman that blood was on his hands.
“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
In 1965, in the middle of the Cold War and with nuclear tests at their peak, NBC television broadcast the documentary The Decision to Drop the Bomb. The film went back two decades to dissect the historical moment in which the decision was made to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
Emotional during the interview for the documentary, Oppenheimer remembered July 16, 1945, the day of the Trinity test, the first-ever nuclear explosion, which he had contributed to creating. That phrase that came to mind then, taken from the sacred Hindu book Bhagavad Gita, has survived until today as his most celebrated quotation.
In the full quotation, Oppenheimer later uttered that phrase by explaining its context: “Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says: ‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.’”
Oppenheimer’s words are often remembered as an illustrative synthesis of the vital process of a scientist who devoted his talent to developing the deadliest weapon ever created by human beings and then embarked on a pacifist crusade that would last until his death. He did not see himself as Vishnu, and he did not arrogate the role of a god. He was Arjuna, the prince destined to fulfill that unavoidable duty.
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