A letter written by the famous physicist Albert Einstein in 1939, in which he informed then US President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the possibility of the Nazis building atomic weapons has been sold for staggering $3. They are 9 million (approximately ₹32. 7 crore). The sale was performed by Christie’s auction house, and it is a clear indication of people’s interest in Einstein and his contribution to the history of the world.
The letter which Einstein later called his “one great blunder” encouraged Roosevelt to step up the research of nuclear fission in America fearing that Germany might be working on “extremely powerful bombs based on uranium”. This correspondence eventually resulted in the beginning of the Manhattan Project and the creation of the first atomic bombs in the world.
Peter Klarnet, a senior specialist at Christie’s, said that it is ‘One of the most influential letters in history’. Despite the fact that there are no words such as ‘forbidden’ in it, further consequences of the letter Einstein regretted as after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
The copy that was auctioned off, and signed by Einstein, is the only one in existence in private ownership. It was one of the series owned by the late technology mogul, Paul Allen who bought it in 2002 for $2. 1 million. Before that, it was with the publisher Malcolm Forbes who bought the letter from the estate of Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard, who wrote the letter in the first place.
It has brought back the question of the duties of the scientist in today’s society as well as the consequences of the knowledge they produce. Einstein’s warning of a nuclear weapon in the making came at a very appropriate time in the history of the world especially in Europe where the world was about to be thrown into the second world war.
His ability to predict the outcome and then to regret it, is a clear example of the moral issues that are presented to scientists who are in a position to cause drastic changes that may lead to disastrous effects.
The price achieved by the letter indicates the historical value of the letter, as well as people’s interest in Einstein as a scientific and moral icon. It is a reminder of a significant point in history that could have led to the start of a new and horrible age of war.
When the tensions in the world are still high and the possibility of nuclear weapons’ usage remains an issue, Einstein’s letter from 1939 stays rather topical. The sale of the letter has led to a new discussion on the scientists’ responsibility to contribute to the public debates and the possible implications of the emerging technologies.
The sale of this piece is a stark reminder that ideas change the world and that those who are in a position to bring change have the burden of doing so.
Despite the fact that the global community is still facing issues concerning nuclear weapons and global security in the present day, Einstein’s words from over eight decades ago still hold a lot of truth and it remains clear that ethical issues remain a very important consideration in science.