Investigate the later years of physicists such as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, Niels Bohr, and Werner Heisenberg. How did these individuals respond to their roles in the creation of nuclear weapons and the resulting devastation? Did the bombs alter the course of their lives? Did they become more or less militant? What later activities did they engage in that might reflect their feelings about their contributions?

Read biographies of Bohr and Heisenberg. Then, examine the letters that Niels Bohr wrote to Heisenberg but never sent (published online at http://werner-heisenberg.unh.edu). Create a dialogue between these men, reflecting on their meeting, their involvement in developing the atomic bomb, and their views on morality during wartime.

Study the Geneva Convention rules of war. Write a paper discussing the various principles outlined in this document. Do you believe the rules of war are moral? Are they comprehensive enough? Would you propose additional rules? Specify which laws you would eliminate or strengthen.

Imagine you are a future scientist who has made a groundbreaking discovery. How would this breakthrough benefit people? How might it pose risks? What moral questions would you need to consider before publicly sharing the results of your research?