Prometheus in the 21st Century
Really when you think about it, our patron saint
[of the modern technological world]
is Prometheus who stole fire from the gods.
Eugen Weber, Professor of History, UCLA
Public Television Series: The Western Tradition
The Greek God Prometheus, father of mankind, stealing fire from the Gods
Stealing fire from the Gods --
Have we taken on too much?
(Left) A simple match (Right) A midsummer bonfire
Our fate is now
tied to our ability
to understand
and then to manage nature
To become managers
of planet Earth
(Left) Fire out of control (Right) Photo of the fireball of first US atomic bomb test, Trinity
The question is:
Are we up to the task?
(Left) NASA composite of the Earth and moon (Right) NASA Earth monitoring satellites
No society has ever yet been able to handle the temptations of technology...
We have to learn to cherish this Earth and cherish it as something that's fragile, that's only one, it's all we have. We have to use our scientific knowledge to correct the dangers that have come from science and technology.
Margaret Mead
