**Scientific research was used to invent nuclear weapons – we must protect our society from such deadly consequences** • In popular opinion, science is generally thought to be a progressive force for good: scientific research cures disease, creates innovative solutions, and teaches us how to protect our environment. However, scientific research is also used to invent nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, which make the world more [dangerous](https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1123&context=auilr). Publishing such research has arguably been detrimental to social equality. • The production of nuclear weapons has historically [exploited less-privileged members of society](https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1123&context=auilr), such as those from minority and low-income backgrounds. Studies have shown that nuclear fallout [disproportionately affects women](https://www.icanw.org/gender_and_nuclear_weapons): in 1945, when the US detonated nuclear bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, women were nearly twice as likely to develop cancer from exposure to ionizing radiation. Nuclear weapons are damaging to social equality as they widen the gap between the powerful (who choose whether to detonate them) and the marginalised (who suffer most from the threat of war). • If the science behind these weapons had not been researched and published, these specific problems would not exist. We should learn from these past consequences and review the potential of scientific research from an ethical perspective.