Intellectual freedom is the only guarantee of a scientific - democratic approach to politics, economic development, and culture.

I regard the death penalty as a savage and immoral institution that undermines the moral and legal foundations of society.

A country which does not respect the rights of its own citizens will not respect the rights of its neighbours

I've always thought that the most powerful weapon in the world was the bomb and that's why I gave it to my people, but I've come to the conclusion that the most powerful weapon in the world is not the bomb but it's the truth

I could not stop something I knew was wrong and terrible. I had an awful sense of powerlessness.

In 1947 I defended my thesis on nuclear physics, and in 1948 I was included in a group of research scientists whose task was to develop nuclear weapons.

You can't sit on two chairs at once.