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Geoffrey Hinton (artificial intelligence) -

When Geoffrey Hinton won the Nobel Prize in physics in 2024 for his groundbreaking work on machine learning, he quickly issued a caution about the power of AI.

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Geoffrey Hinton (artificial intelligence) -

Hinton, often called the "godfather of AI," warned it would surpass human intellectual abilities, creating an unprecedented challenge.

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Frédéric Joliot-Curie (radioactivity) -

The 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to a husband-and-wife team, Frédéric Joliot-Curie and Irene Joliot-Curie (the daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie) for creating the first artificially produced radioactive atoms. Their work advanced medicine, particularly cancer treatment, but also laid the groundwork for the development of the atomic bomb.

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Frédéric Joliot-Curie (radioactivity) -

During his Nobel lecture, Joliot-Curie warned that scientists could one day trigger explosive chain reactions, releasing massive amounts of energy. He cautioned that, if unchecked, such reactions could have catastrophic consequences for the planet.

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J. Robert Oppenheimer (Manhattan Project) -

As the scientific leader of the Manhattan Project, which developed the first nuclear weapons, Oppenheimer later voiced serious concerns about the implications of nuclear warfare.

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J. Robert Oppenheimer (Manhattan Project) -

After witnessing the devastation from the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Oppenheimer famously quoted the Bhagavad Gita: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." He later advocated for international control of atomic energy to avert future nuclear conflicts.

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Albert Einstein (nuclear physics) -

After laying the theoretical groundwork for nuclear physics, Einstein grew increasingly worried about the military uses of nuclear energy, especially the atomic bomb.

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Albert Einstein (nuclear physics) -

Though not directly involved in the Manhattan Project, Einstein co-authored a 1939 letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt with physicist Leo Szilard, warning of Nazi Germany's potential to develop atomic weapons. After World War II, he advocated for nuclear weapon control and non-proliferation.

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Wernher von Braun (rocket technology) -

The leading engineer behind the development of Nazi Germany's V-2 rocket, Wernher von Braun later worked for the US space program.

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Wernher von Braun (rocket technology) -

However, von Braun expressed concerns about the militarization of space and the potential destructive use of rocket technology in warfare.

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Sir Alexander Fleming (penicillin) -

In 1945, Sir Alexander Fleming shared the Nobel Prize in medicine with Ernst Chain and Sir Edward Florey for discovering penicillin and its use in treating bacterial infections. However, he issued a vital warning. 

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Sir Alexander Fleming (penicillin) -

Fleming cautioned that improper use of penicillin could lead to microbial resistance. Nearly a century later, excessive and unnecessary antibiotic use has led to pathogens resistant to most, if not all, available treatments, posing a serious global health crisis.

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Jennifer Doudna (gene editing) -

Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier won the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing method, which offers exciting possibilities in public health, agriculture, and biomedicine.

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Jennifer Doudna (gene editing) -

However, Doudna stressed the need for caution when editing human germ cells, as changes would be inherited by future generations. She noted the ethical concerns and dual-use potential of CRISPR, comparing it to technologies like nuclear power and AI.

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Andrei Sakharov (nuclear weapons) -

A key figure in the development of the Soviet Union's hydrogen bomb, Andrei Sakharov later became an outspoken critic of nuclear weapons.

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Andrei Sakharov (nuclear weapons) -

Sakharov warned about the environmental and ethical dangers of nuclear arms, advocating for disarmament and human rights.

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Paul Berg (gene therapy) -

Paul Berg, who won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for recombinant DNA technology, recognized concerns about genetic engineering and emphasized the risks of gene therapy.

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Paul Berg (gene therapy) -

Berg emphasized the need to understand human gene function before advancing gene therapy. He later noted that scientists addressed the dangers of genetic engineering, building public trust and implementing safeguards despite initial concerns about the technology's risks.

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Tim Berners-Lee (internet) -

The inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee has expressed deep concern about the misuse of the internet.

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Tim Berners-Lee (internet) -

He has warned about privacy issues, data monopolies, and the spread of misinformation, advocating for reforms to ensure the web remains a force for good.

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Niels Bohr (atomic energy) -

Niels Bohr, a key figure in early nuclear physics, foresaw the political and ethical dilemmas posed by nuclear weapons.

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Niels Bohr (atomic energy) -

After the development of atomic bombs, Bohr worked diligently to promote transparency and international cooperation to prevent an arms race, warning that secrecy and competition would result in a dangerous proliferation of nuclear weapons.

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Norbert Wiener (cybernetics and automation) -

Norbert Wiener, a pioneer in cybernetics and automation, voiced apprehensions about the societal effects of automation and artificial intelligence.

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Norbert Wiener (cybernetics and automation) - In his 1950 book 'The Human Use of Human Beings,' Wiener warned about the potential for automation to displace workers and increase social inequality, as well as the ethical issues surrounding autonomous machines and AI.

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Richard Feynman (nanotechnology) -

Although Richard Feynman played a key role in sparking interest in nanotechnology with his renowned 1959 lecture 'There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom,' he later raised concerns about the possible misuse of the technology.

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Richard Feynman (nanotechnology) -

Feynman cautioned against the dangers of developing self-replicating machines at the nanoscale, which could potentially result in the "grey goo" scenario, where uncontrollable nanobots might consume all matter on Earth.

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Joseph Rotblat (nuclear weapons) -

Joseph Rotblat was a physicist involved in the Manhattan Project, who became disillusioned upon realizing that Nazi Germany wouldn't develop an atomic bomb. He left the project and devoted his life to advocating for nuclear disarmament.

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Joseph Rotblat (nuclear weapons) - In 1955, Rotblat co-authored the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, which called for the reduction of nuclear arsenals and warned of the catastrophic consequences of a nuclear war.

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Craig Venter (genetic engineering) -

A leader in the Human Genome Project and synthetic biology, Craig Venter raised concerns about the ethical implications of genetic engineering.

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Craig Venter (genetic engineering) -

Venter warned about the potential misuse of genome editing technologies, including synthetic life forms and designer babies.

Sources: (CNN) (PBS) (The Guardian) 

See also: Times in history when scientists got it wrong

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