Virtual Tour: Turn Back the Clock
H.G. Wells’ novel ‘The World Set Free’ predicts atomic warfare
The cover of "The World Set Free" by H.G. Wells
More than 30 years before the first atomic bombs were made, H.G. Wells’ 1914 novel, “The World Set Free,” depicted a war where atomic energy fueled powerful explosives. Inspired by the potential applications of new scientific discoveries, science fiction authors like Wells imagine possible future outcomes stemming from today’s cutting-edge technologies. While many of these ideas don’t come to pass, sometimes–as in “World Set Free”–these futures are surprisingly close to reality.
“Science fiction is any idea that occurs in the head and doesn’t exist yet, but soon will, and will change everything for everybody, and nothing will ever be the same again,” said science fiction author Ray Bradbury in 2010.
This artifact is featured in our virtual Turn Back the Clock tour. Take the tour to learn more about the history of the Doomsday Clock and discover how you, today, can help “turn back the Clock.” Start here.
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Keywords: Virtual Tour
Take the virtual tour
This artifact is featured in our virtual Turn Back the Clock tour, based on an all-ages exhibit presented by the Bulletin at the Museum of Science and Industry from 2017 to 2019. Enter the tour to learn more about the history of the Doomsday Clock and what it says about evolving threats to humanity. See why Doomsday Clock matters more than ever and discover how you, today, can help “turn back the Clock.”
