I think of November 4th as Rotblat Day.

Joseph Rotblat was the only scientist to leave the Manhattan Project on moral grounds. I have a little “Rotblat doc” inspired by him, where I’ve written down what motivates me and what might cause me to leave a job (or seriously consider it). I think of this as a way to avoid getting swept up or drifting over time in ways I don’t endorse. ^[1]

At the moment, though, I get even more out of his later work against nuclear weapons and war -- especially what others described as his “enduring optimism” and “pragmatic idealism” in the face of catastrophe.

In his own words:

I would describe myself as a realistic pacifist although this sounds like an oxymoron. [...] Even events that seem out of this world can be realized if we put enough effort and faith into them. One such event is a world without war.

and:

A campaign for abolition [of nuclear weapons] based on moral principles will be seen as a fanciful dream by many. But the situation is grim; the way things are moving is bound to lead to catastrophe. If there is a way out, even if seemingly unrealistic, it is our duty to pursue it.

More in a post I wrote about him. (I also really appreciated this more recent post.)

1. ^{^}

   The idea of keeping a doc like this isn’t mine.