Joseph Rotblat was one of the first scientists to understand what would happen if atoms were split - that the energy released could be used to start a chain reaction, leading to a huge amount of energy being let out. In other words, an atomic bomb. But instead of being excited by the possibility, Rotblat worried about how many people would be hurt by weapons like that. He did not want to learn more about the idea. Then in 1939, just as Rotblat barely escaped from Poland before the Nazis invaded, he lost his wife because of the German occupation there. Now he was afraid Germany would make their own atomic bomb.

Question

Rotblat reasoned that if another powerful country had a similar weapon, it might stop Hitler from using an atomic bomb. He started working hard on the idea and came to the United States to help with the Manhattan Project, which was a secret program to create an atomic bomb. But in 1944, Rotblat learned that German scientists had stopped their research into atomic weapons. He was afraid that the bomb he was helping to develop wouldn’t just be used to stop other countries from using it - it might be used to attack other countries. In 1944, Rotblat became the only scientist to quit the Manhattan Project because he found its use would go against his values. After World War II, Rotblat focused his physics work in the medical field, and in 1995 he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

Question 1
1. Which of the following is NOT an example of an appropriate use of science?(1 point)
Responses

The Fish & Wildlife Service reviews its list of protected and endangered species in response to new research findings.
The Fish & Wildlife Service reviews its list of protected and endangered species in response to new research findings.

The Senate stops funding a widely used drug education program after studies show limited effectiveness of the program.
The Senate stops funding a widely used drug education program after studies show limited effectiveness of the program.

Scientists are selected to help conduct a government-sponsored research study on climate change based on their political beliefs.
Scientists are selected to help conduct a government-sponsored research study on climate change based on their political beliefs.

A group of scientists who were asked to review grant proposals based their funding recommendations on the researcher’s experience, project plans, and preliminary data from the research proposals submitted.

Answer 1

The response that is NOT an example of an appropriate use of science is:

"Scientists are selected to help conduct a government-sponsored research study on climate change based on their political beliefs."

This choice reflects a selection process that prioritizes political beliefs over scientific expertise and validity, which is not an appropriate or ethical use of science.