Andrei Sakharov’s 1968 essay on Progress, Peaceful Coexistence and Intellectual Freedom: - Delayed...
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Transcript of Andrei Sakharov’s 1968 essay on Progress, Peaceful Coexistence and Intellectual Freedom: - Delayed...
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!!