Final answer:
The statement that the author ascribes morality to both wonderful and wicked advances is false. The passage highlights that the morality lies in the choices made by individuals in utilizing the advancements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the author ascribes morality to both wonderful and wicked advances is FALSE. According to the passage, the author acknowledges the advancements in knowledge and technology as bringing forth great things. However, the author also highlights that the great wars of the 20th century were a dark consequence of those advances. The passage does not ascribe morality to the advancements themselves, but rather to the choices made by individuals in utilizing those advancements. For example, the author mentions that the energy contained within an atom can provide safe and cheap energy or be used to destroy on an unimaginable scale. The morality lies in the choice of how to use it. The passage emphasizes that the wonderful advances were driven by lofty ideas and creative minds, while the wicked advances were caused by creatively deprived minds seeking destructive force.