--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The last few centuries have seen the…" description: "\"The last few centuries have seen the world freed from several scourges-slavery, for example; death by torture for heretics; and, most recently, smallpo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/luis-walter-alvarez-51937_believe_the-last-few-centuries-have-seen-the-wor_547926.jpg" --- # The last few centuries have seen the world freed from… ![“The last few centuries have seen the world freed from several scourges-slavery, for example; death by torture for heretics; and, most recently, smallpox. I am optimistic enough to believe that the next scourge to disappear will be large-scale warfare-killed by the existence and nonuse of nuclear…” quote by Luis Walter Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/luis-walter-alvarez-51937_believe_the-last-few-centuries-have-seen-the-wor_547926.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/luis-walter-alvarez-51937_believe_the-last-few-centuries-have-seen-the-wor_547926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/luis-walter-alvarez-51937_believe_the-last-few-centuries-have-seen-the-wor_547926.jpg) > “The last few centuries have seen the world freed from several scourges-slavery, for example; death by torture for heretics; and, most recently, smallpox. I am optimistic enough to believe that the next scourge to disappear will be large-scale warfare-killed by the existence and nonuse of nuclear weapons.” [Luis Walter Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-walter-alvarez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Optimism that humanity can eradicate large‑scale war through nuclear deterrence and disarmament. **In simple terms:** Nuclear weapons may end big wars. Key Takeaway Promote nuclear non‑use and disarmament. Themes peace war technology optimism Mood hopeful serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - international negotiations - educational curricula - public advocacy Key Concepts deterrence disarmament global security Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure nuclear weapons stay unused? - What alternatives exist to prevent large‑scale warfare? A Different Perspective Assumes nuclear weapons will remain unused, ignoring proliferation risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Heretic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heretic/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nuclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear/) [Nuclear weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear-weapons/) [Optimistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimistic/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Smallpox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smallpox/) [Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Warfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warfare/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Military men are the scourges of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/military-men-are-the-scourges-of-the-world/) [Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/) > [Internet trolls have swarming tendencies, they descend in clouds like rabbles of biting gnats or scourges of bloodthirsty mosquitoes attacking fragile foals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-fowler/internet-trolls-have-swarming-tendencies-they-descend-in-clouds-like/) [Steve Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-fowler/) > [Near the gates and within two cities there will be scourges the like of which was never seen: famine within plague, people put out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nostradamus/near-the-gates-and-within-two-cities-there-will-be-scourges-the-like/) [Nostradamus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nostradamus/) > [“Scourges assumed authority they had not been granted. 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But the next week Bob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-benford/tests-showed-there-was-no-enrichment-they-re-just-slinging-purified/) [Gregory Benford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-benford/) > [My general theory since 1971 has been that the word is literally a virus, and that it has not been recognized as such because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/my-general-theory-since-1971-has-been-that-the-word-is-literally-a/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“COLUMBUS BROUGHT SMALLPOX TO THE NATIVES; WE SHALL RECALL THE OCCASION WITH A PICNIC!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/columbus-brought-smallpox-to-the-natives-we-shall-recall-the-occasion/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“It is feared that it may be the smallpox, sir," replied Porthos... "and what is serious is that it will certainly spoil his face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/it-is-feared-that-it-may-be-the-smallpox-sir-replied-porthos-and-what/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“When James Larrick and his colleagues studied the still relatively isolated Waorani Indians of Ecuador, they found no evidence of hypertension, heart disease, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ryan/when-james-larrick-and-his-colleagues-studied-the-still-relatively/) [Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) > [This year, 1996, has been designated the 'Year of the Vaccine,' commemorating the 200th anniversary of Edward Jenner's vaccination of James Phipps with cowpox…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-c-doherty/this-year-1996-has-been-designated-the-year-of-the-vaccine/) [Peter C. Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-c-doherty/) > [Oh, if I had been loved at the age of seventeen, what an idiot I would be today. Happiness is like smallpox: if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/oh-if-i-had-been-loved-at-the-age-of-seventeen-what-an-idiot-i-would/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [It is fashionable to wax apocalyptic about the threat to humanity posed by the AIDS virus, "mad cow" disease, and many others, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-is-fashionable-to-wax-apocalyptic-about-the-threat-to-humanity/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More by Luis Walter Alvarez > [ \[My father\] advised me to sit every few months in my reading chair for an entire evening, close my eyes and try to think… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-walter-alvarez/my-father-advised-me-to-sit-every-few-months-in-my-reading-chair-for/) [Luis Walter Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-walter-alvarez/) > [ Dirac politely refused Robert's \[Robert Oppenheimer\] two proffered books: reading books, the Cambridge theoretician announced gravely, "interfered with thought." ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-walter-alvarez/dirac-politely-refused-robert-s-robert-oppenheimer-two-proffered/) [Luis Walter Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-walter-alvarez/) > [I don't like to say bad things about paleontologists, but they're not very good scientists. 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He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The last few centuries have seen the world freed from several scourges-slavery, for example; death by torture for heretics; and, most recently, smallpox. 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