Andrei Sakharovs 1968 essay on Progress Peaceful Coexistence

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 University October 24 th 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

th 10 July 2008 small item in NYT th July 28 2008 full text in NYT Discussed by NAS members RR Wilson, Ramsey etc in Aspen CO, (FERMILAB planning) Feld of Pugwash discussed BUT, summer and no official response Also Vietnam war was worrying us

THEN CAME AUGUST 21 st

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 Medvedev 1975 Nobel Peace Prize 1975 Supporting Orlov and Sharansky 1986 (18 years later) – Rejkjavik 1987 (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 oil USA 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!!