Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist and the head of the Manhattan Project created the atomic bomb that was unfortunately detonated in Japan. His personal involvement in such atrocity will always be connected with him. The fact that World War II was waning over, his imposition to continue the research only proved that scientific hubris has consumed his mind. The prospect of recognition and support from the government – and some from civilians, definitely made his scientific conquest more appetizing. His scientific work in the Manhattan project proved that reckless and blind science can lead to disastrous results, even though being not directly affected.
In a way, this historical fact can be paralleled with Mary Shelley work in Frankenstein. Mary Shelley’s classical novel alludes to this situation in time. It is known that Dr. Frankenstein had created a monster in which it eventually terrorizes him and his family. Like Oppenheimer, Dr. Frankenstein pursued a science that was forbidden. The conundrum that we must face thought, is to figure out how we should push the boundaries of science. It is indeed preferable to advance science for the sake of improving humanity and society altogether, but we must also remember that such limitless boundaries can be detrimental to a society – especially to us human beings in where we have only started to discover science and scratch the top of it. Regardless of such immaturity in such sciences, we must also figure out a way to walk the tightrope of morality and avoid falling to the precipice of humanity’s bane – hubris.
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