Um...read an account of the event. They were absolutely not sure they wouldn't ignite the atmosphere. I grant you they were fairly sure...but is that good enough? In hindsight it is, of course. Everything is looking backwards.

There seems to be a notion here that somehow scientists are different (read better) than ordinary mortals and should be left alone to make these decisions by themselves. I am suggesting that as technology advances this will become a very dangerous assumption; certainly it is one not backed up by facts.

People are people. For those who feel scientists are somehow better, more moral, less self aggrandizing than other people, I can only ask to see your evidence for this. Smarter, yes. But does smarter equal more sensible? Anyone who knows anything about history would argue with that.

Are you aware that when the atom bombs were dropped in Japan, nobody thought people would get radiation burns, let alone long term illnesses? As Peter Wyden said in his book, "The men who made the bomb did not know what it was." It was felt that anyone who was exposed to dangerous radiation would "get hit by a brick first."

So you may be comfortable trusting your betters to always make the right decision for you; I am not. I would like to see some sort of international agreement for evaluating the risks.