“Professor, I need your help here. As I told you already I have got great results when testing my acoustic refrigerator for standard wavelengths. The actual results I got from running the model agreed nicely with the predicted values calculated by my finite analysis program.”
“Yes, Victor, I remember, great job. I thought you did not run into any problems with your thesis work.”
“Well, it is not really a problem… I tried to run my program for micro wavelengths. I keep getting weird results. The energy generated increases rapidly with the decrease in wavelength. Those energy values I keep getting are… funny.”
“Funny? Are you working on your Ph.D. in Engineering or Arts?”
“I mean unrealistic, really high, but I have checked everything and do not see any error.”
“Okay, I will look into this, leave me the paperwork.”
“Thanks, you’ll know right away if it’s nonsense.
Professor was still at his desk at midnight. Victor’s folder was now covered with massive engineering journals. There was an unopened bottle of whiskey on the desk. He thought of opening the bottle at first. But this decision had to be made with a clear mind. Did Sakharov ever need to face the dilemma of hiding his discoveries when he realized how much danger they can bring to people? Well, as far as he could see, compared to Victor’s “funny” discovery, the nuclear bomb is actually a joke.
But this case is different. Everybody was after the nuclear energy technology. If not Sakharov, somebody else would get to the goal first. And here, it was just an accident. The kid’s curiosity helped him discover this “funny” property of his model on micro wavelengths. All the numbers were right, Professor was sure of that. Of course, the actual results might not be that high, but even a 50% error would still lead to the Noble prize for Victor. And for him, his old professor. The Noble prize, something he cared for more than money or anything else.
But it’s not just about the Noble Prize. This discovery can really do a lot of good for the people, for humanity. It can improve lives of so many, might end world hunger, poverty, bring a better quality of life… But let’s face the truth; sooner or later somebody will use it to make weapons, more weapons. What is the place of ethics in science? What is the place of ethics in technology?
The next morning Professor was at home in front of a large fire place. He was looking at the bright fire as he picked up the phone.
“Hi Victor, I looked at the numbers and they are actually nonsense. You should be taking care of vibrations on the micro level. And once you introduce the vibrations equation the energy values are quite normal. By the way, remember the sand water filter tests, which you were eager to start. It turns out we got funding and you can start working on those. I’ll take care of the acoustic refrigerator paperwork. You did very well.”