Educational Media Reviews Online

As more of us turn our attention to the dangers of global climate change, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that carbon emissions and sustainable energy sources won’t matter much if we can’t forestall the development of weapons of mass destruction. The Strangest Dream, a documentary film about the life of scientist Joseph Rotblat, reminds us of the continued importance of the non-proliferation movement in today’s fragmented world.

Joseph Rotblat was a nuclear physicist who spent much of his life trying to ensure that ethics played a role in scientific research. He was the only scientist to leave the Manhattan Project on moral grounds, and he was a founding member of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. In recognition of the impact of his work, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995.

Rotblat was an exceptionally intelligent and principled individual who consistently balanced alarm with optimism. For years, scientists had purposefully removed themselves from the applications of their research. Rotblat wanted to change that. As one of his colleagues says, Rotblat wanted to “transform physics into something that could help people help people.”

The film travels from the site of the first nuclear test site in New Mexico, to the destruction of Hiroshima in the Second World War, to the site of the first Pugwash Conference in Pugwash, Nova Scotia. It describes Rotblat’s personal and professional achievements through interviews with his contemporaries and others who are familiar with his work. Some of the most moving scenes are spent with his niece, who eloquently describes her uncle’s poise and charm.

More than a biography, this film examines the history of the weapons race and the role of scientists in world politics. It is highly recommended for high school through general adult viewers.