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The INVITATION ... an emperience in the Peace Dome |
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The Nobel Peace Prize Laureates you meet in The INVITATION In 1954, a distinguished American scientist named Linus Pauling received the highest award in his field—the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Pauling was cited for his longtime investigation of the forces that hold molecules together in matter. His resonance theory explained molecular bonding and his studies led to his discovery of the atomic structure of protein molecules, opening the door to understanding the human body and its diseases. The same year, Pauling began investigating the effects on the body of radioactive fallout, particles and gases that are the by-products of exploding nuclear weapons. Convinced that increasing amounts of fallout in the world had become a major cause of certain diseases, mental retardation, and physical deformity, he began a crusade against nuclear weapons testing which eventually led to the two superpowers signing a partial nuclear test ban treaty in 1962. That same year, Pauling won the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the first person to be awarded prizes in two separate categories. |
Linus Pauling A document of great consequence, the Russell-Einstein Appeal, was made public by Bertrand Russell12 on July 9, 1955. Russell, who for years remained one of the world's most active and effective workers for peace, had drafted this document some months earlier, and it had been signed by Einstein two days before his death, and also by nine other scientists. The Appeal began with the sentence: "In the tragic situation which confronts humanity, we feel that scientists should assemble in conference to appraise the perils that have arisen as a result of the development of weapons of mass destruction..." And it ended with the exhortation: "There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge, and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? We appeal, as human beings, to human beings: Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new Paradise; if you cannot, there lies before you the risk of universal death." ©1968 The Nobel Foundation, reprinted with permission |
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Ask how your school or organization can preform The Invitation. Email us at peace@som.org for details |
See the College of Metaphysics performance of
available on dvd |
