Abstract
Every 10 years since August 1945, the media dutifully commemorate the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But this anniversary has a unique resonance for the Bulletin–a publication founded by scientists who had worked on the Manhattan Project and who were frustrated in their efforts to have a say in the decision to use the very weapon they had developed.
“Having found the bomb, we have used it,” President Harry S. Truman told the American people in a radio address following the destruction of Nagasaki. It's a statement that, in its simplicity, embodies the character of the tough, plainspoken, “buck stops here” Missourian who led his nation through the final days of carnage in World War II. Yet, the simplicity of the statement also unnerves; the decision to annihilate two cities encapsulated in just eight words.
Sixty years later, we are still debating the atomic bombings. And that is as it should be. Whether we are inclined to disparage Truman's choice or to reaffirm his wisdom, it is not presumptuous to reconsider history. Rather, it is an essential characteristic of a free society. In both science and politics, certainty is rarely a virtue.
While the debate over Truman's decision is often emotionally charged, it is also typically considered in the abstract. In this issue of the Bulletin, we challenged noteworthy thinkers to answer the question “If the decision had been yours alone to make, would you have dropped the bomb?” And through an essay by Tadatoshi Akiba, the mayor of Hiroshima, we hear the perspectives of the hibakusha, the atomic bomb survivors. Akiba notes that one of their greatest contributions was the decision to endure: “Hovering between life and death in a corpse-strewn sea of rubble, they opted to continue living when none could have blamed them for choosing death.” It is the essence of that decision, humanity's desire to survive, that has guided the mission of the Bulletin in the six decades since its founding.
Longtime readers will notice many enhancements in this issue of the Bulletin–most notably, a lively redesign courtesy of our art director, Joy Olivia Miller. Also, for those who strive to keep abreast of the most important contemporary literature, we've expanded our Reviews section to include not only books, but also noteworthy reports and journal articles. Our back page features a new department, “Turn back the Clock,” which invites leading experts to propose initiatives for a safer world. And in support of our commitment to providing nonpartisan analysis, our Opinions section and expanded Letters section will solicit the views of individuals from around the world and across the political spectrum. We welcome your views as well. Drop us a line at