On the Misuse of Scientific Discoveries

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                               March 5, 1990

                  On the Misuse of Scientific Discoveries

    In October 1953, a celebrated Professor of Law in Athens, Mr. O.J.
    Despotopoulos, appealed to  UNESCO  in  a manifesto demanding that
    scientific research should cease, or at least be kept secret.

    It ought, he suggested, to be in  future entrusted to a council of
    scientists, elected by  a  world  vote,  and  consequently  having
    authority to keep silence.

    A letter from Mr. Despotopoulos in 1955 says :

         "Natural science  is  certainly  one  of the most meritorious
          conquests in human history.   But  the  moment  it liberates
          forces capable of destroying the whole human  race it ceases
          from a  moral  standpoint  to be what it used to be.  It has
          become almost impossible to distinguish between pure science
          and its technological applications.   One  cannot  therefore
          speak of  science  qua  science  as being a  good  thing  in
          itself.

          Or rather,  in  some  of its more important branches, it has
          now become a negative value  in  so  far  as  it  no  longer
          conforms to ordinary moral standards and is free to exercise
          its dangerous activities in order to satisfy  the  lust  for
          power of the politicians.

          This adoration  of  progress  and  freedom  where scientific
          research is concerned is wholly pernicious.  What we propose
          is this:  the  codification  of  the  conquests  of  natural
          science up  to now, and the creation of a Council  of  World
          Scientists with  powers  to prohibit absolutely or partially
          any progress it may achieve in the future.

          Such a measure, no doubt, would  be  tragically severe, even
          cruel, since the activity it seeks to curtail  is one of the
          noblest human    impulses,   and   it   is   impossible   to
          underestimate the difficulties  inherent in such a solution.
          But there is no other that could be so efficacious.

          The objections are easily foreseen: a return  to  the Middle
          Ages, to  barbarism, etc.; but these do not really carry any
          weight.  Out  intention  is   not   to  retard  intellectual
          advancement, but  to protect it; not to impose  restrictions
          for the benefit of any social class, but in the interests of
          humanity as a whole.  There lies the problem.  Anything else
          can only  lead  to  divisions  and  time wasted in trying to
          tackle problems of lesser importance."

    These ideas have much in common with  certain proposals put forwad
    at international conferences on disarmament.





    Other civilizations apparently  have  had  similar ideas regarding
    the control and regulation of scientific  activities  specifically
    including the release  of dangerous knowledge into  the  hands  of
    those who would irresponsibly misuse the information.

    One such civilization  was  the Eastern Indians at the time of the
    great ruler, Emperor Asoka in 273 B.C.

    Asoka was the grandson of Chandragupta,  the  first ruler to unify
    India.  Ambition goaded  Asoka  to  complete  the   work   of  his
    grandfather by conquering  the  region of Kalinga, between what is
    now Calcutta and Madras.

    100,000 Kalingan lost their lives  in  defense  of  their  country
    during the battle.

    Asoka was overcome with emotion on viewing the resulting  massacre
    and forever after  experienced  a horror of war.  Introspection on
    the results of his attempt to complete  the  unification  of India
    led him to a profound realization.

    He came to understand that the only true conquest was to win men's
    hearts by observance  of the laws of duty and piety,  because  the
    Sacred Majesty desired  that  all  living  creatures  should enjoy
    security, peace and happiness and be free to live as they pleased.

    By his own virtuous example, Asoka spread this religion (Buddhism)
    throughout India, Malaya, Ceylon  and  Mongolia.   Asoka respected
    all religious sects, preached vegetarianism, abolished alcohol and
    the slaughter of animals.

    The famous writer,  H.G.  Wells, in his OUTLINE OF  WORLD  HISTORY
    wrote :

         'Among the tens of thousands of names of monarchs accumulated
          in the  files  of  history,  the name of Asoka shines almost
          alone, like a star.'

    Emperor Asoka's repulsion of war  caused  him  to  seek a means to
    forbid men ever  to put their intelligence to evil  uses.   During
    his reign natural science, past and present, was vowed to secrecy.

    Henceforward, and for   the  next  2,000  years,  all  researches,
    ranging from the structure of matter to the techniques employed in
    collective psychology, were to be  hidden behind the mystical mask
    of a people  commonly  believed to be exclusively  concerned  with
    ecstasy and supernatural phenomena.

    Asoka founded the  most  powerful secret society on earth; that of
    the Nine Unknown Men.

    It is still thought that the great men responsible for the destiny
    of modern India, and scientists like  Bose  and Ram believe in the
    existence of the Nine, and even receive advice and  messages  from
    them.

    The story of  the  Nine  Unknown Men was popularized for the first
    time in 1927 in a book by Talbot  Mundy  who for twenty-five years
    was a member of the British police force in India.   His  book  is
    half fiction, half scientific inquiry.





    The Nine apparently  employed  a  synthetic  language, and each of
    them was in  possession  of  a  book  that  was  constantly  being
    rewritten and containing  a  detailed account of  some  branch  of
    science.

    The first of  these  books  is  said  to  have been devoted to the
    technique of propaganda  and psychological  warfare.    'The  most
    dangerous of all sciences,' wrote Mundy, 'is that of moulding mass
    opinion, because it  would  enable  anyone  to  govern  the  whole
    world.'

    It must be  remembered that Korjybiski's GENERAL SEMANTICS did not
    appear until 1937 and that it was  not  until the West had had the
    experience of the  last  World  War  that  the techniques  of  the
    psychology of language, i.e. propaganda, could be formulated.

    The second book  was  on  physiology.   It  explained, among other
    things, how it is possible to kill  a  man  by touching him, death
    being caused by a reversal of the nerve-impulse.   It is said that
    Judo is a result of 'leakage' from this book.

    The third volume was a study on microbiology, and dealt especially
    with protective colloids.

    The fourth was  concerned with the transmutation of metals.  There
    is a legend that in times of drought  temples and religious relief
    organizations received large quantities of fine gold from a secret
    source.

    The fifth volume  contains a study of all means of  communication,
    terrestrial and extra-terrestrial.

    The sixth expounds the secrets of gravitation.

    The seventh contains   the  most  exhaustive  cosmogony  known  to
    humanity.

    The eighth deals with light.

    The ninth volume, on sociology, gives  the rules for the evolution
    of societies, and the means of foretelling their decline.

    Avoiding all forms  of religious, social or political  agitations,
    deliberately and perfectly concealed from the public eye, the Nine
    were the incarnation  of the ideal man of science, serenely aloof,
    but conscious of his moral obligations.

    Having the power  to mould the destiny  of  the  human  race,  but
    refraining from its exercise(?), this secret society is the finest
    tribute imaginable to freedom of the most exalted kind.

    Looking down from the watch-tower of their hidden  glory, the Nine
    Unknown Men watched  civilizations  being  born, destroyed and re-
    born again, tolerant rather than indifferent, and ready to come to
    the rescue - but always observing that rule of silence that is the
    mark of human greatness.

    Myth or reality?  A magnificent  myth,  in  any case, and one that
    has issued from the depths of time - a harbinger,  maybe,  of  the
    future?
    ------------------------------------------------------------------
       excerpted from Morning of the Magicians by Pauwels & Bergier