In 1905, Albert Einstein formulated his Special Theory of Relativity. According to this theory, mass can be considered to be another form of energy. According to Einstein, if somehow we could transform mass into energy, it would be possible to "liberate" huge amounts of energy. During the next decade, a major step was taken in that direction when Ernest Rutherford and Niels Bohr described the structure of an atom more precisely. It was made up, they said, of a positively charged core, the nucleus, and of negatively charged electrons that revolved around the nucleus. It was the nucleus, scientists concluded, that had to be broken or "exploded" if atomic energy was to be released. In 1934, Enrico Fermi of Italy disintegrated heavy atoms by spraying them with neutrons. However he didn't realize that he had achieved nuclear fission. In December 1938, though, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman in Berlin did a similar experiment with uranium and were able to verify a world-shaking achievement. They had produced nuclear fission (they had split an atom)- 33 years after Einstein said it could be done mass was transformed into energy. On August 2, 1939, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
"In the course of the last four months, it has been made probable - through the work of Joliot in France as well as Fermi and Szilard in America - that it may become possible to set up nuclear chain reactions in a large mass of uranium... And this new phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs... A single bomb of this type, carried by boat or exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory." He urged Roosevelt to begin a nuclear program without delay. In later years Einstein deplored the role he had played in the development of such a destructive weapon: "I made one great mistake in my life," he told.
In December 1942 at the University of Chicago, the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi succeeded in producing the first nuclear chain reaction.In August 1942, during World War II, the United States established the Manhattan Project. The purpose of this project was to develop, construct, and test the A-bomb. On May 31, 1945, sixteen men met in the office of Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. The sixteen men were there to make decisions about a weapon the average American had never heard of - the atom bomb. They picked future targets for "The Bomb." They were not talking about "just another weapon." What they were discussing was "a new relationship of man to the universe," as said by Stimson. Humankind, the Secretary seemed to be saying, was at the most critical turning point in its entire recorded history.
Parallel to these events during these datelines...the 'Satyagrah" and 'Non Violence" movements were practiced in India.
What more should I say ?
1 comment:
A nice post highlighting violence and non-violence.
However, this very difference, or rather the tendency (or the lack thereof) of aggressiveness, has been a problem for India.
I understand that Gandhi and Nehru are still respected and worshipped in India. However, these two people, among others, have destroyed the pride and dignity of Indians.
They have, in fact, cultivated a mentality among many (if not most) Indians that they are the most forgiving and understanding people on this planet Earth.
It is good to be non-violent, unaggressive, and all that. However, such course of thinking is ideal, in my opinion, for people who reside in the spiritual, rather than a physical/materialistic realm.
Being a physical part of this planet, and having the second highest ratio of population amongst countries of this world, what Gandhi and Nehru in fact did was destroy any possible chances of India's continued supremacy over the western world.
Mind you, I say "continued" because, by all Vedic and other accounts, India was a superior country/culture, and was able to attract Europeans who lacked what India had.
The only reason Britishers (and other Europeans like Portugese and Spaniards) were able to successfully colonize almost the entire planet, is directly related to their aggressiveness and lack of spiritual understanding as well as higher-thinking.
The Europeans were and are overly materialistic. And the term European itself is wrong. We, and that includes you and I, are Caucasians. As even inhabitants of present-day America (and I mean the whites), originate from Europe.
They used the power of steel and guns, and later on nuclear technology, to literally terrorize those who didn't possess the same (from the late 19th century until now). And they were able to terrorize the colonies into subservience.
Personally, I do not respect Gandhi (and Nehru), because what he taught made Indians look and act like weaklings who didn't stop the loot carried out by westerners. Had it been the other way round, would India be a third-world country today? I think not!
Hinduism, which in fact is not a religion but a term attributed to the culture of the people between HImalaya to the north, and biNDU or the point of Kanya Kumari to the South (therefore HI + NDU or Hindu, or in other words Himalaya + Bindu), wasn't exactly based on non-violence, etc. In fact, history suggests that Hindus were the most aggressive race, feared by many or all around the world, and therefore the Hindus successfully built a rich and strong country (not to mention the culture) that was considered golden in ancient times.
So where did it all go wrong? Well, for starters, Hindus became overly self-centered. They then devised the caste system that was roughly spread out in four categories - Brahmins, Vaishyas, Kshatriyas, and Shudras.
While the Rig (or Rg) Veda says that these (categories) were just significant as per the occupation of the person, the ancient hindus (ancestors), took it a step ahead and turned all of this in racial discrimination, etc.
This resulted in two schools of thoughts. Namely, touchables and the untouchables (etc.) And all this monkey business found its root in (misunderstood) vedas and scripts as in Dwaitya and Adwaitya (Duality and Non-Duality).
Buddha, Mahavir, and other smarty-pants heroes had their day and introduced further oddities like vegetarianism, etc.
To give you an example, I mentioned to a lady in AMD that humankind is equipped with teeth that can chew meat. She was surprised. She didn't believe me. She was under the impression that humans, like cows or Gauri Maiya, were herbivorous, and couldn't possibly be carnivorous.
See where I am getting? The constant programming in form of mind control has rendered us weak. In the 21st century, we and our thought patterns seem to be going in reverse to the current trend/reality/flow. I wish we re-reverse what has been reversed.
After all, there is no denying that Indians are the most intelligent species on this planet. Sadly, couple of ar*eholes have fu*ked the mass mentality. And that was 1947, this is 2006.
One cannot behave like they are in Satayuga, when infact, they are in Kalayuga! - Ron Bach
Cheers!
PS: By the way, I remember the chess games we used to have. How about a chess game when you and I are online and on Yahoo?
Chidia Phaas Gai Jaal Mein! Remember? You used to say that!
Cheers!
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