History
SPUSA was founded in 1979 by UC San Diego student Jeffrey Leifer, with the fundamental belief that young people play a vital role in determining the socially responsible application of science and technology. In 1955 Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell, and other eminent scientists issued a manifesto urging scientists to "think in a new way" about their moral responsibilities in the nuclear age. In 1957, the first Pugwash Conference was held in Pugwash, Nova Scotia, bringing together some of the greatest scientific minds to address nuclear weapons issues and the social responsibility of scientists. SPUSA strives to convene the next generation of scientists around today's parallel issues.
SPUSA is the US student affiliate of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, recipients of the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize, and the U.S.A. affiliate of the International Student/Young Pugwash.
A long-standing icon of the organization has been Albert Einstein, for his commitment to advancing both science and its peaceful use. Another icon is Professor Joseph Rotblat, who was the co-founder of Pugwash and the only scientist to leave the Manhattan Project, refusing to work further on the atomic bomb after the Nazis were defeated. In response to Rotblat's call for an ethical Hippocratic Oath for scientists, Student Pugwash created a student pledge, calling young scientists to make a personal commitment to use science and technology in a socially responsible way. In 1999, Student Pugwash initiated the Joseph Rotblat Lecture on Science and Social Responsibility in honor of Rotblat's pioneering life dedicated to the responsible use of science.
Following a decrease in revenue related to the late 2000s recession, the organization returned to its student-run founding with former student board members Sharlissa Moore and Kyle Gracey appointed President and Vice President, respectively.
Read more about this topic: Student Pugwash USA
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“Anyone who is practically acquainted with scientific work is aware that those who refuse to go beyond fact rarely get as far as fact; and anyone who has studied the history of science knows that almost every great step therein has been made by the “anticipation of Nature.””
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