--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Allison gave the reporters something more…" description: "\"“Allison gave the reporters something more stirring to write about. “Scientist Drops A-Bomb: Blasts Army Shackles,” the Chicago Tribune reported about ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/william-lanouette-31523_atomic-energy_allison-gave-the-reporters-something-mor_922222.jpg" --- # Allison gave the reporters something more stirring to… ![“Allison gave the reporters something more stirring to write about. “Scientist Drops A-Bomb: Blasts Army Shackles,” the Chicago Tribune reported about his remarks. “We are determined to return to free research, as before the war,” he said, warning that if military regulations hampered the free…” quote by William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/william-lanouette-31523_atomic-energy_allison-gave-the-reporters-something-mor_922222.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/william-lanouette-31523_atomic-energy_allison-gave-the-reporters-something-mor_922222.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/william-lanouette-31523_atomic-energy_allison-gave-the-reporters-something-mor_922222.jpg) > ““Allison gave the reporters something more stirring to write about. “Scientist Drops A-Bomb: Blasts Army Shackles,” the Chicago Tribune reported about his remarks. “We are determined to return to free research, as before the war,” he said, warning that if military regulations hampered the free exchange of scientific information, researchers in America “would leave the field of atomic energy and devote themselves to studying the color of butterfly wings.”1”” [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The scientist warns that military control over research could drive scientists away from atomic work toward trivial pursuits, emphasizing the need for academic freedom. **In simple terms:** Military restrictions may push scientists to abandon important work. Key Takeaway Advocate for free scientific inquiry. Themes science freedom ethics politics innovation Mood cautionary urgent thought‑provoking Type persuasive warning When to use this quote - University policy debates - grant funding decisions - public science forums Key Concepts Academic liberty research autonomy military‑science relations Questions to Reflect On - What would you do if your research were censored? - How can societies protect scientific independence? A Different Perspective Scientists may still be compelled by funding pressures despite freedoms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atomic energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atomic-energy/) [Butterfly wings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/butterfly-wings/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [Food choices affect health outcomes, and consumers need to have the latest, most up-to-date scientific information in making their food choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcclellan/food-choices-affect-health-outcomes-and-consumers-need-to-have-the/) Mark McClellan > [The amount of scientific information we've discovered in the last twenty years is more than all the discoveries up to that point, from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/the-amount-of-scientific-information-we-ve-discovered-in-the-last/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [“If the butterfly wings its way to the sweet light that attracts it, it's only becasue it doesn't know that the fire can consume…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/if-the-butterfly-wings-its-way-to-the-sweet-light-that-attracts-it-it/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“Wow," Puck mused, standing beside me. "The River of Dreams." ... Moons, comets and constellations rippled on the surface, and other, stranger things floated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/wow-puck-mused-standing-beside-me-the-river-of-dreams-moons-comets/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [“It had butterfly wings, like flakes of patterned wax. Under the wings it had a hairy body with tiny horns. Its fur looked very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-shaw/it-had-butterfly-wings-like-flakes-of-patterned-wax-under-the-wings/) [Ali Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-shaw/) > [In the next few galactic seconds, the fate of the universe will be decided. Life - the ultimate experiment - will either explode into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-savage/in-the-next-few-galactic-seconds-the-fate-of-the-universe-will-be/) Marshall Savage > [“And above it all the butterfly effect. The sure knowledge that the entire life of a human being is like a single day in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/and-above-it-all-the-butterfly-effect-the-sure-knowledge-that-the/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [He is a male butterfly without the wings - the same kind of grace of a very young horse, so angular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/he-is-a-male-butterfly-without-the-wings-the-same-kind-of-grace-of-a/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [Fractal litigation, whereby the flapping of a butterfly’s wings on one side of the world resulted in a massive compensation claim on the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-aylett/fractal-litigation-whereby-the-flapping-of-a-butterfly-s-wings-on-one/) [Steve Aylett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-aylett/) > [“Yes, every evening. Your mother enjoyed it. That evening she chose Inkheart. She always did like tales of adventure – stories full of brightness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/yes-every-evening-your-mother-enjoyed-it-that-evening-she-chose/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“There was this time when I looked at a picture and thought it was a man with horns, but when I stepped up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/there-was-this-time-when-i-looked-at-a-picture-and-thought-it-was-a/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [“I know you are afraid, mon amour, " he whispered softly, his hands sliding up her rib cage to her breasts. "But I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/i-know-you-are-afraid-mon-amour-he-whispered-softly-his-hands-sliding/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [The air is like a butterfly With frail blue wings. The happy earth looks at the sky And sings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-kilmer/the-air-is-like-a-butterfly-with-frail-blue-wings-the-happy-earth/) [Joyce Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-kilmer/) > [When, within our souls and psyches we are made aware of a safe but insistent drum beat, repeated like butterfly wings in motion, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-meeker/when-within-our-souls-and-psyches-we-are-made-aware-of-a-safe-but/) [Mary Meeker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-meeker/) > [“Story is a butterfly whose wings transport us to another world where we receive gifts that change who we are and who we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harley-king/story-is-a-butterfly-whose-wings-transport-us-to-another-world-where/) [Harley King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harley-king/) ## More by William Lanouette > [“Leo said that his function was to head up the Happiness Committee,” Lerner recalled. “He said a university ran on the happiness of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/leo-said-that-his-function-was-to-head-up-the-happiness-committee/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“an expert is a man who knows what cannot be done.” Szilard found that last paragraph “rather irritating because how can anyone know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/an-expert-is-a-man-who-knows-what-cannot-be-done-szilard-found-that/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“he mentioned that The Tragedy of Man by Madách had “influenced my whole life.” The moral he recalled from it was that no matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/he-mentioned-that-the-tragedy-of-man-by-mad-ch-had-influenced-my/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“Recognize the connections of things and the laws of conduct of men so that you may know what you are doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/recognize-the-connections-of-things-and-the-laws-of-conduct-of-men-so/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“What we call disorder or chaos might actually be order, if order is seen as a random distribution and not as a static, idealized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/what-we-call-disorder-or-chaos-might-actually-be-order-if-order-is/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“It is hard to be right and be a pessimist,” Szilard concluded.24”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/it-is-hard-to-be-right-and-be-a-pessimist-szilard-concluded-24/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“Your knowledge and wisdom determine who you are. In our society, there is a market for skills and knowledge. But I have some doubts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/your-knowledge-and-wisdom-determine-who-you-are-in-our-society-there/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“Adamson scoffed. It generally takes two wars to develop a new weapon, he said; besides, it was “morale,” not research, that led to victory.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/adamson-scoffed-it-generally-takes-two-wars-to-develop-a-new-weapon/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“Let your acts be directed toward a worthy goal but do not ask if they will reach it; they are to be models and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/let-your-acts-be-directed-toward-a-worthy-goal-but-do-not-ask-if-they/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“Honor children. Listen reverently to their words and speak to them with infinite love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/honor-children-listen-reverently-to-their-words-and-speak-to-them/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“Those insights in science that have led to a breakthrough were not logically derived from preexisting knowledge: The creative processes on which the progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/those-insights-in-science-that-have-led-to-a-breakthrough-were-not/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“imagination is the tool which has to be used if the impossible is to be accomplished.”74”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/imagination-is-the-tool-which-has-to-be-used-if-the-impossible-is-to/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“I believe that many children are born with an inquisitive mind, the mind of a scientist, and I assume that I became a scientist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/i-believe-that-many-children-are-born-with-an-inquisitive-mind-the/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“. . . the most important thing to remember about science is the fact that it is supposed to be fun. . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/the-most-important-thing-to-remember-about-science-is-the-fact-that/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) > [“Leo’s real problem,” Trude once told Puck, “is that he doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/leo-s-real-problem-trude-once-told-puck-is-that-he-doesn-t-know-what/) [William Lanouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) [Explore all 16 William Lanouette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/) ## More Atomic energy quotes > [The pace of science forces the pace of technique. Theoretical physics forces atomic energy on us; the successful production of the fission bomb forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-pace-of-science-forces-the-pace-of-technique-theoretical-physics/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, None but ourselves can free our minds. Have no fear for atomic energy, 'Cause none of them can stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/emancipate-yourself-from-mental-slavery-none-but-ourselves-can-free/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-release-of-atomic-energy-has-not-created-a-new-problem-it-has/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [This is the age of electrical energy. The age of atomic energy hasn't really dawned yet, not in the way that atomic energy has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/this-is-the-age-of-electrical-energy-the-age-of-atomic-energy-hasn-t/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The International Atomic Energy Agency is controlling this, the sanctions against Iran are lifted - but still the US are working on their missile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/the-international-atomic-energy-agency-is-controlling-this-the/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [We live technologically, with man as the master of nature, man as the engineer, and let anyone who raises his voice against it stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/we-live-technologically-with-man-as-the-master-of-nature-man-as-the/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [In the increasingly mechanized, automated, cybernated environment of the modern world a cold, bodiless world of wheels, smooth plastic surfaces, tubes, pushbuttons, transistors, computers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eldridge-cleaver/in-the-increasingly-mechanized-automated-cybernated-environment-of/) [Eldridge Cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eldridge-cleaver/) > [There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom. The glib supposition of utilizing atomic energy when our coal has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/there-is-no-likelihood-man-can-ever-tap-the-power-of-the-atom-the/) [Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/) > [Almost all of the governments have agreed that they will not acquire nuclear weapons and that they will allow the International Atomic Energy Agency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/almost-all-of-the-governments-have-agreed-that-they-will-not-acquire/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [We have got to accept Big Government for the duration-for neither an offensive nor a defensive war can be waged, given our present government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/we-have-got-to-accept-big-government-for-the-duration-for-neither-an/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [The big problem for atomic energy is that it can't compete on price with the new age of cheap shale gas and, to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moore/the-big-problem-for-atomic-energy-is-that-it-can-t-compete-on-price/) [Stephen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-moore/) > [Private enterprise did not get us atomic energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/private-enterprise-did-not-get-us-atomic-energy/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [ \[The human control of atomic energy could\] virtually provide anyone who wanted it with a private sun of his own. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-soddy/the-human-control-of-atomic-energy-could-virtually-provide-anyone-who/) [Frederick Soddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-soddy/) > [It is critically important that Iran should not develop nuclear weapons. And that the necessary interventions need to be made by the International Atomic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/it-is-critically-important-that-iran-should-not-develop-nuclear/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [Few nations have been as reliant on nuclear power as Korea. In many ways, cheap and reliable atomic energy helped make possible the 'miracle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moore/few-nations-have-been-as-reliant-on-nuclear-power-as-korea-in-many/) [Stephen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-moore/) [Browse all 61 Atomic energy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atomic-energy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Allison gave the reporters something more stirring to write about. “Scientist Drops A-Bomb: Blasts Army Shackles,” the Chicago Tribune reported about his remarks. “We are determined to return to free research, as before the war,” he said, warning that if military regulations hampered the free exchange of scientific information, researchers in America “would leave the field of atomic energy and devote themselves to studying the color of butterfly wings.”1”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Lanouette" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/allison-gave-the-reporters-something-more-stirring-to-write-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Atomic energy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/allison-gave-the-reporters-something-more-stirring-to-write-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/william-lanouette-31523_atomic-energy_allison-gave-the-reporters-something-mor_922222.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/william-lanouette-31523_atomic-energy_allison-gave-the-reporters-something-mor_922222.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/william-lanouette-31523_atomic-energy_allison-gave-the-reporters-something-mor_922222.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Allison gave the reporters something more stirring to write about. “Scientist Drops A-Bomb: Blasts Army…” — William Lanouette", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Lanouette", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lanouette/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Allison gave the reporters something more...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/allison-gave-the-reporters-something-more-stirring-to-write-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lanouette/allison-gave-the-reporters-something-more-stirring-to-write-about/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```