Andrei Sakharov’s 1968 essay on Progress, Peaceful Coexistence

and Intellectual Freedom: - Delayed Reaction of Western

Scientists, and the Consequences

Richard Wilson, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics, emeritus,

Harvard UniversityOctober 24th 2008 9 am

July 1959 High Energy Physics Conference, Geneva

July 1959, Limited Test Ban Treaty discussions, Geneva

Hillman, Hoftsadter, Panofsky, Tamm, Wilson

walk up a small mountain near Lausanne

Tamm recommends his student ANDREI SAKHAROV

Starting with Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace Speech

scientists, particulrly in High Energy Physics

commicated The American Physical Society

translated Russian scientific journals

July 10th 2008 small item in NYTJuly 28th 2008 full text in NYTDiscussed by NAS members

RR Wilson, Ramsey etcin Aspen CO, (FERMILAB planning)

Feld of Pugwash discussed

BUT, summer and no official responseAlso Vietnam war was worrying us

THEN CAME AUGUST 21st

Exhibition in Prague, August 2008

1945

1968

August 21, 1968

Sept 2008 High Energy Physics Conference, Vienna

Several discussions but no official response.

Czech scientist described a party meeting in Dubna, July 2008;

(chair Bruno Pontecorvo)He made an impassioned plea to

support their Czech brothers seeking a alternate route to Communism

Pietr Kapitza (Nobel Laureate)(leaving USSR for first time since 1934) mentioned privately at Harvard in late

September 2008(a) his agreement with Sakharov

(b) his understanding that the vote to enter Prague had a majority of only one vote

COULD THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED BY A PROMPT NAS or

PUGWASH response?

Why was there such a weak response?

Every high energy physicist knew a dozen Russian Scientists with

similar views.

But Sakharov was different. He persisted and put everything on the line

1972 At a genetics Conference Sakharov asked particpants to help

release Zhorez Medvedev1975 Nobel Peace Prize

1975 Supporting Orlov and Sharansky

1986 (18 years later) – Rejkjavik1987 (19 yrs) Sakharov released for

Moscow conference on a nuclear free world

2006 Bush accuses Putin of restarting the cold war.Some accuse Bush of restarting a cold war.The first one was about control of peoples.

Bureaucrats won!This one is about natural resources.

Russia supplies 30%-40% of Europe's gas and oilUSA imports oil, gas and other minerals

If a US congressman merely calls for action against a middle eastern oil producing country, the forward

price of oil jumps $5 a barrel. Without any action of its own, Russia makes money

and the US loses it.

Both Russia and the USA need Andrei Sakharov's intelligence, wisdom, and

humanity.

And all important, the ability to stand up to his government and say NO!!