Somos revolucionarios a nuestro pesar

The atomic bomb raises the problem of human control of technology. Let those who confuse the adventure of knowledge with mechanical instinct listen to me. It is not about submitting knowledge, but about controlling its practical applications. To the extent that it is a lonely adventure, knowledge is free; but to the extent that its practical applications transform the conditions of human life, it is a matter for us to judge. For if not all men are competent to judge in matters of physics, all are competent to judge the way in which their lives will be disrupted by physics, and in this case it is not only the interest of science that must be taken into account but all human interests. If the question of the control of technical means by all individuals is not raised, the rights that democracy grants us can become ridiculous.