Technological risks are not the end of the world

Science. 2024 Apr 19;384(6693):eadp1175. doi: 10.1126/science.adp1175. Epub 2024 Apr 18.

Abstract

There's a scene in the movie Oppenheimer in which the protagonist is trying to explain to General Groves, his military overseer, the hazards of their endeavor. Groves asks Oppenheimer, "Are you saying there's a chance that when we push that button, we destroy the world?" The physicist says, "The chances are near zero." When Groves, understandably alarmed, asks for clarification, Oppenheimer responds, "What do you want from theory alone?"

Publication types

  • Editorial