Half wits at the button is no cause for Buddha to smile

The forces which shaped atomic science were not all creative. Today's atomic scientists can be likened to Prometheus' half witted brother, Epimetheus, without foresight and a mere practitioner. That the present set of Epimethean practitioners have not succeeded in destroying the planet by letting loose a radioactive plague against which we are defenseless is more the result of good fortune than good management.

Today the greatest challenges are not to be found in any new atomic science discoveries. We already know too much about atomic science for our own good. We can no longer can bask in glory for having "conquered Nature" because we have no idea of what to do with this conquest nor how to prevent it from falling into the control of more half-witted practitioners.

The original atomic scientists might be likened to the Greek myth of Prometheus, a man of foresight and the bringer of fire, for indeed they were Promethean. Only now we have become more powerful than than Prometheus.

From now on we are the masters of our own fate.

The greatest challenge will be to prevent "the half-witted Epimetheans" from using powers bestowed by the Prometheans from bringing ruin to all of Nature, of which we are only a small part.

by Bucky the Commoner (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 44 comments) on Saturday, June 9, 2007 at 11:49:05 AM