Who said “If we had a reliable way to label our toys good and bad, it would be easy to regulate…”?

Verified

Freeman Dyson. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceDisturbing the Universe (1979)

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“If we had a reliable way to label our toys good and bad, it would be easy to regulate technology wisely. But we can rarely see far enough ahead to know which road leads to damnation. Whoever concerns himself with big technology, either to push it forward or to stop it, is gambling in human lives.”
— Freeman Dyson
VerifiedDisturbing the Universe (1979) · evidenceTechnology
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Disturbing the Universe (1979).

APA

Dyson, F. (n.d.). If we had a reliable way to label our toys good and bad, it would be easy to regulate technology wisely. But we can rarely see far enough ahead to know which road leads to damnation. Whoever concerns himself with big technology, either to push it forward or to stop it, is gambling in human lives. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/39176-if-we-had-a-reliable-way-to-label/

MLA

Dyson, Freeman. “If we had a reliable way to label our toys good and bad, it would be easy to regulate technology wisely. But we can rarely see far enough ahead to know which road leads to damnation. Whoever concerns himself with big technology, either to push it forward or to stop it, is gambling in human lives.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/39176-if-we-had-a-reliable-way-to-label/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Dyson, Freeman. “If we had a reliable way to label our toys good and bad, it would be easy to regulate technology wisely. But we can rarely see far enough ahead to know which road leads to damnation. Whoever concerns himself with big technology, either to push it forward or to stop it, is gambling in human lives.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/39176-if-we-had-a-reliable-way-to-label/.

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