Before this I had vaguely heard of Hiroshima, but now considering its signfigance I am suprised I didnt know more. I have awareness now of not only the short term impacts but the long term consequences of this event. After drowning in notes and creating a giant essay, the more I looked into what made Hiroshima such a defining moment in history I realized how multifaceted it is, how complex it is due to the numerous aspects layered into this event, ethical debates, human resilience, the ripple effects on our world to name a few. Yet it is important to acknowledge this part of history. Learn from it.
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Getting started with the project
Our class had just finished learning about the Manhattan Project, and my focus was on the role of ethics. You can check out the animation I made:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=wFBaJcb_vaA&si=gsQPtTxg0A1E0QlK
Because of what I learned, I naturally started thinking more deeply about the ethics in regards to Hiroshima. From my readings, it didn’t take me long to start questioning and seeking more understanding around the ethical debates regarding wheter the bombings Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nessecary.
When asked what piqued my interest the most in this project, it was undoubtedly when we focused on understanding the bombings from survivors’ perspectives, mainly through the book Hiroshima, by John Hersey. The book was well written in that it was very descriptive and painted vivid mental imagery that made me feel compassion. It made me think how I might have survived or coped in such a situation.
Hiroshima gives a new perspective on the experiences of six survivors from the moment the bomb dropped to their lives in the aftermath. It humanizes the bombing in a way that people hadn’t considered at the time. Despite having to read it digitally (because really…..can a digital book ever compare to a real one?), I enjoyed it. The biggest takeaway for me was the importance of community and how having people to rely on can change someone’s recovery journey.
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Class Discussion and Socratic Seminars
After each couple of chapters, our class held socratic seminars where we discussed our opinions, ideas and questions from the book. These seminars allow me to see things from different perspectives and create more connections between the events and their impacts; this is thanks to hearing the ideas and questions posed my peers. I enjoy hearing what quotes or evidence sticks out to others, especially of those who have a better understanding of politics or other areas that I do not feel as knowledgeable or as confident with. For example, we talked about how Japanese culture might have influenced their reactions to the bombings. I had never thought about how culture influences people reactions.
Also, every Friday we’d discuss current events that somehow related to the bombing of Hiroshima. Whether it was about nuclear policies, ethical dilemmas in science or current wars going on these discussions helped connect past and present. What hit me most was how everything connects – decisions, events and how they shape the world we live in.
For my current event I still stayed on the ethics in science train. I looked into CRISPR and the questions that surround it like is it ethical to edit humans and play the role of „god“ or should we just let nature take its course? For those questioning what this acronym stands for CRISPR means Clustered regulalary interspaced short plaindromic repeats it allows scientists to modify DNA in organisms. Essentially CRISPR gives humans the ability to rewrite the genetic codes which helps get rid of genetic diseases but opens doors to ethical dilemmas like designer babies. It is fascinating yet slightly terrifying how much control humans now have over life itself. This tech is yet another example of how advancements in science push the boundaries of what’s possible while challenging us to consider the ethical implications.
My current event notes:
//flies-start-9xq.craft.me/J3AHnCqCrx2mBB
All these activities guided my thinking and helped shape the way my essay would go.
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Final product
Our final project was an essay about 4 main points:
The essay requirement felt a bit daunting at first simply because I wasn’t sure how to organize my thoughts, or where to stop with my research. As I said at the start—Hiroshima Nagasaki is so complex and has many layers. I easily could have written my own book on the subject matter. For my brainstorming I created a mind map list typa thing to map out what I wanted to talk about (sadly, I lost it because it was on paper). But then what helped me was talking through my ideas out loud, reflecting on what stood out the most and connected to current events. Luckily, I ended up feeling confident with my final draft which dives into the immediate and the lasting impacts of the bombing and ethical debates it sparked and how it influenced my understanding of community and resilience. It was easy for me to dive deeper into the resilience piece, given what the global community has gone through with the pandemic, and the political unrest in the Ukraine war. I like how humans can come together in times of crisis to overcome it together.
If you are curious to read more check out my essay here: Hiroshima – The Day Humanity Changed Forever
In the end, Hiroshima isn’t just about one of the first uses of nuclear weapons, it is a story of human strength, ethical dilemmas in scientific advancements and the long-lasting effects on both individuals and global politics. It is a reminder of how interocnnectied our actions are and how we as humans have so much power to shape the shape the course of our future. We must use this power responsibly and effectivelly in order to continue in a positive direction.