His Fate Was Larger than Himself: Andrei D. Sakharov’s Centenary#
On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Andrei Sakharov (in May), István Hargittai, member of the Chemical sciences section of Academia Europaea, has published an article in the European Review:
"The world-renowned physicist Andrei D. Sakharov (1921–1989) was ‘the father
of the Soviet hydrogen bomb’ and, as such, an architect of the Soviet superpower.
He developed into a fierce fighter for human rights, distinguished by the Nobel Peace
Prize. In his words, ‘my fate was larger than what would have followed from my
personality. I was merely trying to be worthy of my fate.’1 His life and career provide
thought-provoking lessons and is worthy of review on the eve of his centennial."
European Review
© 2021 Academia Europaea
doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1062798720001428
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