Glenn T. Seaborg was born into an educated family in Ishpeming, Michigan in 1912. When Seaborg was ten, in 1922, the family moved to California in order to seek new opportunities. In high school, he had no exposure to science and, therefore, little knowledge of its possibilities (290). Dwight Reid, the teacher of his first chemistry course captured his imagination and caused him to realize his passion. After graduation, he attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), due to its free tuition and his family’s financial situation. Financial hardships were common throughout Seaborg’s childhood and early adulthood due to the Great Depression. However, these financial barriers exhibited throughout the book represent his ability …show more content…
Adventure’s in the Atomic Age displays the idea that financial barriers and difficult courses should not be what is stopping someone from being successful in the field of science. “Scientists would feel a sense of purpose and inner satisfaction even if their efforts were not important to the world in which we live. In actuality, of course, there is no group of persons on whom society as a whole depends so heavily” (292). Seaborg began working with one of the pioneers of nuclear medicine, Joe Hamilton, while attending Berkley. Hamilton needed a radioisotope that had a half-life long enough to be useful in dealing with in the human body; a half-life that was about a week. Seaborg and his long-time friend and partner, Jack Livingwood, used targets of tellurium and bombarded it with deuterons and some with neutrons to reveal iodine-131, which had a half-life of eight days. This element held major sentimental value to Seaborg due to its aid in his mother’s cure of hyperthyroidism. Iodine-131 is a major component still today in cancer treatment, particularly thyroid cancer. Seaborg and Livingwood also discovered cobalt-60, which is also a critical medical isotope. Cobalt-60 emits gamma radiation which in turn focuses directly on cancer cells to destroy it. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans have had their cancers treated by cobalt-60 irradiation, and it is also used to sterilize medical products and equipment” (36). Shortly
On the brink of discovery there is a thrilling glow of hope and promise. The hope of a betterment of life as it is and the promise of something new and exciting. The turn of the twentieth century was this threshold of opportunity and anticipation, and a booming era for scientists and inventors alike. Between 1900 and 1920 a plethora of modern day conveniences and concepts were brought to life. Without this unique period in time civilization might have had to do without escalators, Gillette’s double edged safety razor, modern vacuum cleaners, air conditioning, the Teddy Bear, crayons, airplanes, E=mc2, automobiles, Life Savers candy, and the bra, just to name a few.1 Along with the glitter of innovation can come an unintentional (and sometimes
He portrays scientific research as dangerous by declaring that a “single step can also take one of a cliff.” This further emphasizes the courage prerequisite to scientists and hearkens back to the fear of the unknown. The fact that all of one’s work may be dashed into pieces by a single finding in the laboratory conveys the tenacity of researchers. Barry’s description of the process by which a scientist decides which “tools” are appropriate to the task at hand, exemplifies the tedious and often inglorious labor involved in most scientific research. Barry finally predicts that if a scientist is successful a “flood” of colleagues and others will “pave roads” over the paths so painstakingly laid, taking one within minutes to the very place the scientist spent so long searching for. This suggests that in the wake of major discovery, the actual pioneer of this breakthrough may be forgotten. Countless researchers have made valuable contributions to the human understanding of the world, and faded into obscurity over the course of the history of science. Barry’s conceit conveys the fact that, like exploring uncharted wilderness, scientific research can be both treacherous and thankless, but all the more noble for
A contemporary society must include people being more interconnected, technological innovation and globalization. However, the average man is too afraid to make drastic changes and as a result, we must slowly change so that the majority of the population still feels safe in the known. Science is a field of career that will make the average man not feel safe at all.
John M. Barry, the author of The Great Influenza, writes about scientists and the obstacles they face. He claims that scientists are explorers in the wilderness that is science. There is no charted path to go down and no one to follow. Scientists will always be uncertain, however scientists should possess certain characteristics to overcome the doubt. He appeals to our emotions to explain the necessary characteristics a scientist has to posses. John M. Barry uses anaphoras, motifs, and pathos in his definition of what scientists do.
Intelligence can be uncomfortable, but innovation can be downright frightening. No one likes being forced to see the world in an entirely different way just because of one factor. Though Equality 7-2521’s actions may have seemed harmless, to the government this creation seemed like the catalyst into evil. Often times the proposal of new ideas is met with great opposition and criticism. This is seen in both the world of Ayn Rand’s Anthem with society’s extreme prejudice to new ideas and in the past with fellow scientists to Ignaz Semmelweis’ scientific proposals. Both innovators’ works were negated and they were in turn ostracized for their works. Even though their situations were quite different, both Semmelweis and Equality showed similar
During the last decade, major progress has been made in the treatment of disease with radioisotopes. Treatments involving the use of medical isotopes are gaining momentum in the race against many types of cancer. FDA approved and highly promising therapies are doubling every 3 to 4 years. Some researchers predict that over 80% of cancer types should be treatable with
The scientists get entangled in the politics of the time which in turn have repercussions. Scientist
“Science makes people reach selflessly for truth and objectivity; it teaches people to accept reality, with wonder and admiration, not to mention the deep awe and joy that the natural order of things brings to the true scientist” a famous quote by physicist, Lise Meitner. In Meitner’s years she made numerous discoveries and received multiple honors during and after her time. Meitner discovered nuclear fission with her partner Otto Hahn and was honored to receive multiple awards and honors.
Presently, humanity is a highly evolved kind that is persistently expanding the limitations of science and technology. The world of nanotechnology, interplanetary exploration, and intelligent artificial assistants are at our fingertips. These innovations, coupled with our progressive advancement seem to defy all early scepticism. Facilitated by an engaged society with borderless dreams, we gear our species to achieve what has previously been considered impossible. Through this mindset, countless intellectuals have made significant contributions to society. Louis Pasteur, for example, provided conclusive evidence against the theory of spontaneous generation, even though his experiment spanned a prolonged period of time. His work opened up frontiers in the fields of microbiology. Thomas Edison famously tested thousands of filaments for his incandescent light bulb, until he came across the perfect one. In fact, he often
From the sponsorship given the Casa de Contratación by Queen Isabella to the government funding of many ongoing scientific experiments, science has always been heavily linked with politics. Political power often collaborates with technological development in such a manner that societal ideals reflected in the political regime correlates with the objectives behind scientific development. As a result, conflict of political powers as manifested in war leads to an agitation of scientific objectives and a consequent shift in material progress as scientific exploration becomes oriented in a different direction. This leads to the creation of new materials targeted towards increasing the advantage held by the patron country in the war of political ideals. The ideas Einstein expressed in his letter to the League of American Writers pertain to the dichotomy between fascism and democracy in the context of scientific progress, collaborating with the historical context of the letter to establish the impact of the end of World War II as well as the beginning of the age known as the Cold War on scientific progress, influencing scientific relations and communication between international scientific bodies as well as the objectives of scientific concepts being applied to societal needs.
The Atomic Age was driven by curiosity and a sense of adventure. As some of the most well thinkers of the day continued with passion about physics, their self confident in peeling the layers of the proverbial scientific onion led to severe unintended consequences that dramatically impacted the lives of billions of people. Moreover, complacency fuelled by arrogance resulted in the betrayal of compassion and principled action, ultimately leading to the sacrifice of millions to pay the debt of a few.
In medicine, Iodine 131 is given in small doses and is primarily used as a therapy to analyse and trace the function of thyroid in humans. Radioactive atoms are needed to be inserted into the blood stream for the Iodine path to be precisely observed. The atoms conjoin into molecules that later transform into thyroid hormones. Gamma ray scans can then monitor and track the thyroid activity.
When thinking of a scientist, the visual that often comes to mind would be that of a curious, patient individual slaving away in a sterile environment. Scientists are often viewed by society as quite droll, but in reality, they must be incredibly creative and intuitive in order to make scientific discoveries. Children around the world often dream of making remarkable scientific discoveries, although for some, unfortunate circumstances prevent them from working in scientific laboratories. Whether it be due to a major illness or a physical defect, many inspired adolescents are kept from their true passion, due to the demands of the field. These individuals are often forced into much less favorable professions, but still retain the analytical mind of a prospective scientist. However, those lucky few who are allowed to express their scientific interests through their alternate occupations, typically novelists, often portray idealistic societies which have been driven forward by scientific advances. One such disgruntled novelist, Aldous Huxley, allows his creativity to flourish through his work, spouting a myriad of technological advancements which have allowed society to become utopian. In Brave New World, author Aldous Huxley presents the reader with a fanciful tale of scientific conquest and social upheaval, which ultimately degrades his reputation as a credible scientist.
Throughout the course of history, scientific discoveries have led to the birth of new knowledge. Humanity’s increase in knowledge has helped to achieve new heights of understanding in a variety of fields such as medicine, nuclear power, and nuclear weapons. While some of these achievements in science can generate much prosperity, some technology has created significant amounts of controversy. The Honors 2400 class entitled The Chernobyl Incident has granted me over the course of the semester the opportunity to analyze these scenarios and understand the challenging questions that are associated with the pursuit of knowledge. From many examples discussed in class, I understand the importance of limiting knowledge, the discoveries that humanity should or should not pursue, how individuals pursue confined questions, and who is ultimately responsible for approving or disapproving of these scientific questions.
Mr. Christopher Bernido spurns the youth, especially those who are in remote dwellings, to emphasize the profound impact of sciences to our mortal world. Mind-tickling cogitation has pummeled my psyche too much that I, myself, have been enthused with his concern towards his countrymen, despite the opportunities that he and her wife could have grabbed when they were in New York. He also turned a blind eye to the pervasiveness of poverty; to render quality education with the most suitable pedagogies and strategies. I am struck in awe with his alacrity to despise a bunch of anticipated opportunities that he has already come to hold, to render service and guidance to the inconspicuous individuals in the province of Bohol. It entails utmost dedication and affection towards his countrymen to be able to help others without anything in return. His passion for science may have served as his calling for the proliferation of its essence not only to humankind, but also to our much-loved environment and by that matter, he shunned the deterrent of affluence as a necessity for quality education to take place, and proved that there is no ample money that can fair enough with education’s worth. Moreover, I truly find his purposeful commitment to both the nation and science personally inspiring, as he made a bridge for both to cooperatively work in accord. Mr. and Mrs. Bernido do not only own noble hearts, but also