--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After the thing went off, after it was a…" description: "\"After the thing went off, after it was a sure thing that America could wipe out a city with just one bomb, a scientist turned to Father and said, 'Scie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kurt-vonnegut-41_america_after-the-thing-went-off-after-it-was-a_2188588.jpg" --- # After the thing went off, after it was a sure thing that… ![“After the thing went off, after it was a sure thing that America could wipe out a city with just one bomb, a scientist turned to Father and said, 'Science has now known sin.' And do you know what Father said? He said, 'What is sin?” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kurt-vonnegut-41_america_after-the-thing-went-off-after-it-was-a_2188588.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kurt-vonnegut-41_america_after-the-thing-went-off-after-it-was-a_2188588.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kurt-vonnegut-41_america_after-the-thing-went-off-after-it-was-a_2188588.jpg) > “After the thing went off, after it was a sure thing that America could wipe out a city with just one bomb, a scientist turned to Father and said, 'Science has now known sin.' And do you know what Father said? He said, 'What is sin?” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science admits sin; the father asks, “What is sin?” **In simple terms:** Science claims sin, but the father questions its meaning. Key Takeaway Question definitions before moral judgments. Themes ethics science philosophy Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - academic debate - policy making - personal belief Key Concepts morality knowledge Questions to Reflect On - How do we define sin in modern context? - What role should science play in ethics? A Different Perspective Science may oversimplify complex moral concepts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Bombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) ## Related quotes > [“He said he hoped a lot of us would have careers in science,' she said. 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Not science fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-arquette/hail-said-we-do-science-not-science-fiction/) [Brett Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-arquette/) > [“You shouldn’t make jokes about these things,” she said. “Science doesn’t have all the answers, you know.” “It’s got all the best questions, though,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/you-shouldn-t-make-jokes-about-these-things-she-said-science-doesn-t/) [Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/) > [When all is said and done, science actually takes hard work and a willingness to sometimes find out that your most cherished hypothesis is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/when-all-is-said-and-done-science-actually-takes-hard-work-and-a/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [It is often said that science must avoid any conclusions which smack of the supernatural.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-behe/it-is-often-said-that-science-must-avoid-any-conclusions-which-smack/) [Michael Behe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-behe/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. 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