I think it was an Asimov story or in a compilation of stories he liked.
A scientist decides that the human race is being manipulated by aliens. These aliens are responsible for the rise of empires and their subsequent fall when they grow too big. He helps defend against the alien influence by designing a shield against nuclear weapons to stop the next big fall before killing himself.
Any ideas?
Almost sounds like one of E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensmen novels.
This is sounding familiar… something like “The Immunity Factor”? I checked my Asimov story books and nothing rang a bell.
Well, not quite. In the “Lensman” universe, agelong war between Arisia and Eddore was fought by proxies, with each side grooming civilizations to do battle. But the Eddorians weren’t even aware of the Arisians for most of it, and the Arisians were definitely benevolent towards you …I mean “us” humans.
Otherwise the story sounds vaguely familier tome, but I can’t place it except to say it doens’t sound like “Doc”'s work.
QtM
It’s “Breeds There a Man…?” which was written in 1951. (Link goes to Jenkins’ Spoiler-Laden Guide to Isaac Asimov.) The scientist in question believed that anyone who started thinking around those lines were forced by the alien intelligence to kill themselves. Sort of like bacteria in a petri dish, in a safe zone surrounded by penicillin. I liked this one.