Six years ago, my dad and I set on a cross-country road trip from North Carolina to California. No, this was not a vacation but my way to move our stuff to Pasadena. We rented a Penske truck, towed one of our cars, had the dogs with us and drove across the country while my wife flew with the kids to LA. In the third day or our trip, we reached New Mexico in the morning and I was struck by its natural beauty. Blue skies, dry heat and beautiful arid vegetation invited me in. It was then I decided I had to come back for a visit one day. A month ago, I made that happen organizing a 40 year-old birthday trip with my unsuspecting brother. Unlike the first time, I was determined to spend 5 days exploring its natural beauties and its rich multi-cultural history.
Soon it became clear the trip offered many opportunities for reflection and writing. The themes of technology, culture, nature and humanity popped up all throughout which led me to this series of blogs. Reflecting on compelling experiences often ends up as blog material. Here is my first installment reflecting on this epic trip.
Ancient Writings
In our first full day in Albuquerque, we decided to visit the Petroglyphs National Monument. This national park offered not only an opportunity to hike in the beautiful New Mexico landscape but also a way to connect with pre-Columbus American history. The canyons boasted a rich array of petroglyphs (artistic carvings on rocks) that were between 400 to 700 years old. Centuries of erosion and exposure to the elements was not enough to erase these early manifestations of human creativity.
The carvings ranged from people, animals to abstract symbols. Some were faint while others were very clear. From the information provided in the park, no one knows for sure why these carvings were made. They were made both by Native American and early Spanish settlers and represent the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the region.
To think that their imprints have persevered in the rocks for centuries is mind-boggling. I wonder about what I could do today that would remain intact for even 50 years! With all our technology and tools at our disposals, are we still capable of leaving a noticeable imprint in nature that could last centuries? It also made me wonder what inspired them to carve. Was it religious, artistic or did it serve another purpose? Some sampling of the thoughts that went through my mind as we battled 90 degree sun in our heads to walk through the trails and climb up the rocks.
The Cloud that Changed the World
As the clock reached noon, it was time to find an AC respite from the sun. I didn’t want to acquire burns from exposure and ruin the rest of the trip. After a short but restful lunch it was time to go to the next destination. Knowing that the heat made anything outside unbearable we opted for going to a museum. From Breaking Bad scenes and previous research I knew that Albuquerque housed the Museum of Nuclear Science and History. A fitting geographical location as Los Alamos, a few miles up north, was the testing ground for the Manhattan Project.
Museum of Nuclear Science and History is one of the few national museums outside of DC. It boasts an impressive collection of artifacts tracing the history of the development of Nuclear technology. A lot of it centers on the development of the nuclear bomb that not only ended World War II but also changed our relationships with technology permanently.
Re-visiting this complex history evokes a range of mixed emotions. On the one side there is a sense of awe and admiration. It is mind-boggling to comprehend the effort, coordination, resources, secrecy that it took for the Manhattan project to succeed. Similar to the moon landing effort decades later, this is another testament to this nation’s ability to take on monumental tasks. Yet, all of this dissipates when we consider the horrifying destruction left by the nuclear bomb.
From a military strategic perspective, the bomb was meant to actually save lives. Given dogged Japanese resistance, the Allied forces anticipated that only a long and bloody invasion would bring the war to a conclusion. Some estimates put the cost of lives in the millions for both sides. The solution, in their view, was to deliver a humiliating and devastating blow that would convince the Japanese emperor to re-think his resistance. Two bombs, and close to 150,000 lives decimated later, their strategy worked. Yet, the cost would far surpass the direct casualties from the bomb.
In the section portraying the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki I was struck by a harrowing reminder. Of all the pictures shown, the image of an incinerated kid’s tricycle shocked me. I thought of my own children and the pain it would be to have their lives cut short in such a tender age. Yes, the project was a tremendous feat but it was also a destructive curse. In spite of its justification, the bomb crossed an unprecedented line for humanity.
The advent of the atomic age removed a sense a security from all of us. It is as if we realized we now had the power to annihilate all human life in a matter of seconds. This fear transcended national, ethnical and racial loyalties. This new discovery threatened all life in the planet.
In the exposition we learned that scientists working on the project made a final plea for an alternative option. Instead of dropping it in a city, they begged the military to run a demonstration of the bomb’s power in an unpopulated area as a final warning to the Japanese. Military leaders disagreed and convinced the president that the war effort needed a more forceful action than a demonstration. Let history be the judge of their ultimate decision.
Technological Blessing and Curse
The loss of innocence that came with the atomic experience reverberated in many levels. Till this day, the mushroom cloud symbolizes the destructive side of technology. Yet, even seventy years later, another nuclear bomb has not been deployed in an armed conflict. While a few nations continue to pursue it as a way to shore up their position in the geopolitical theater, thankfully, no deadly detonations have followed. Paradoxically, the horror of the first bombing led to restraint and possibly kept a cold war between two super powers from becoming hot in the 20th century.
How can we use the legacy of the nuclear bomb as a way to re-think our relationship with technology? On the one hand, it reminds us that the development of any technology should never be divorced from rigorous ethical deliberation. One could say that the nature of a global conflict like World War II did not lend itself to such activity. That may be so, but I do wonder how different history would have been have the President listened to the scientists’ plea for a demonstration. Would the threat of grave destruction be enough or was the actual deployment necessary?
On the other hand, harnessing energy out of atoms was a major scientific break through. In an age where we worry about global warming, nuclear energy continues to be a rather clean way to produce electricity. I wonder whether we would be more open to building nuclear plants had it not been tainted by its association with the bomb. That is, sometimes because of fear we may lose opportunities to harness technology for the good.
As we enter in an age where AI is now becoming a deciding factor in our future, I hope we listen to the lessons from the history of nuclear science. Let us approach it with rigorous ethical reflection but also aware of our blinding fears. While the first is essential the latter can greatly reduce the opportunity for flourishing. And that, in itself, would be a great loss.
