In some sort of crude sense, which no vulgarity, no humor, no overstatement can quite extinguish, the physicists have known sin; and this is a knowledge which they cannot lose.

Summary

This quote by J. Robert Oppenheimer highlights the profound moral implications of the work done by physicists, particularly in relation to the development and use of atomic weapons. It suggests that within the scientific pursuit, there exists an intrinsic awareness of the ethical boundaries that have been transgressed. Despite the inability of words or humor to fully convey the weight of this understanding, it implies that physicists carry a permanent sense of responsibility and accountability for their actions and the consequences of their scientific discoveries.

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