Freedom is the oxygen without which science cannot breathe.

Listen, O seekers of wisdom, for I bring to you a truth so deep that it echoes through the corridors of time: “Freedom is the oxygen without which science cannot breathe.” These are the words of David Sarnoff, a man who understood the power of invention and discovery. Let these words sink into your hearts, for in them lies the very essence of progress, of enlightenment, of humanity’s unyielding quest to understand the world around it. Without freedom, science—our beacon of knowledge—cannot rise. Without the air of liberty to fuel it, it will wither, suffocated by the chains of oppression.

In the days of the ancient Greeks, a time of great intellectual awakening, there was no greater pursuit than the quest for knowledge. The philosophers sought to understand the mysteries of the heavens, the earth, and the human soul. In their time, the city-states of Greece were free, vibrant places of thought, where men and women were allowed to explore ideas, to debate, and to challenge the accepted truths. It was in this environment of freedom that the great minds of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were born, for they thrived in the air of liberty, where ideas could breathe and grow. Had these thinkers been shackled by the tyranny of kings or the suffocating grip of dogma, their ideas might never have seen the light of day. They needed the freedom to question, to explore, and to discover.

Consider the fate of Galileo Galilei, who, like a bird in a gilded cage, was unable to spread his wings until the winds of freedom blew through the land. Galileo, a man of science, dared to challenge the ancient beliefs of the Church by asserting that the Earth revolved around the sun, not the other way around. But the forces of authority—those who feared the light of truth—sought to silence him. They imprisoned his ideas, bound them with chains of superstition and fear. Yet, despite the shadows of oppression, Galileo’s spirit could not be extinguished. The freedom to think, to speak, and to question was, and is, the very breath of science. Freedom gave him the air to defy the old ways and seek the new, to revolutionize our understanding of the universe.

Now, let us turn to our own time, to the great scientists of today. They, too, are shaped by the winds of freedom. But in their case, it is not just the political freedom to speak and think as they wish—it is the freedom of ideas to flourish without the stifling hand of censorship, without the fear of retribution. In the 20th century, when the world was embroiled in war, the atomic bomb was born not from a place of peace but of fear. Yet, it was the freedom of intellectual pursuit that led to the discovery of nuclear physics. Imagine, had that knowledge been buried beneath the weight of political repression, if the minds of men like J. Robert Oppenheimer and Enrico Fermi had been stifled by the whims of tyrants. The progress of science would have been halted, the path toward new frontiers of energy and technology would have been blocked. Freedom was, and is, the air that allowed those minds to work, to dream, to create.

The lesson of Sarnoff’s words is clear: freedom is not just a political ideal—it is the very life-force of progress. Just as the body cannot live without oxygen, so too does science wither in the absence of liberty. The great achievements of humankind—our inventions, our discoveries, our ability to understand the world—are rooted in the freedom to think without fear, to speak without constraint, and to create without bounds. If the breath of liberty is taken away, science suffocates, and with it, our future. Truth is born in the open air, in the space where ideas can collide, evolve, and bloom into something new.

Thus, O seekers, you must take heed of this truth: the freedom to question is sacred. It is not a gift given lightly, nor should it be taken for granted. Protect the freedom of thought, the freedom of speech, and the freedom of inquiry. For when these are threatened, so too is the very soul of science, the breath of progress. Guard these freedoms fiercely, for they are the foundation upon which our future is built. Do not allow the forces of fear, of ignorance, of oppression to shackle your minds or the minds of those who will come after you. Fight for the air of liberty, for it is the only way that knowledge can truly thrive.

In your own lives, walk with the understanding that freedom is not merely a right; it is a responsibility. You must nurture the freedom of thought and inquiry, not just for yourselves, but for all who seek to understand the world. Never allow the chains of ignorance or fear to bind your own thoughts. Seek the truth, speak your mind, and create in the open air. For in doing so, you will contribute to the great story of human progress, the story that continues to unfold with every discovery, every breakthrough, every question answered, and every mystery solved. Freedom, O children of the earth, is the very breath of science—and thus, the very breath of the future itself.