Philip H. Abelson

Glossary on Kalinga Prize Laureates UNESCO – Kalinga Prize Winner – 1972 Philip H. Abelson World Renowned Scientist, Longtime Editor of ‘Science’ and Co-Discoverer of the Element Neptunium. [Born : April 27, 1913, Tacoma, WA, USA Died : August 1, 2004 at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, USA] Organic matter equivalent in quantity to the weight of the Earth has been created by living creatures since life originated on this planet. ... Philip H. Abelson 1957 “Man is the Product of billions of years of hard-won evolution”. We must notrisk permitting Zealots, however well-intentioned, to gamble with the future. .... Philip H. Abelson, 1966 The imaginative and original mind need not be overawed by the imposing body of Present knowledge or by the complex and costly paraphernalia which today surround much of scientific activity. The great shortage in science now is not opportunity, manpower, money or laboratory space. What is really needed is more of that healthy skepticism which generates the Key ideas - the liberating concept. ....Philip H. Abelson 1 Glossary on Kalinga Prize Laureates Philip H. Abelson Philip Hauge Abelson (April 27, 1913 - August 1, He was a key contributor to the Manhattan Project 2004) was an American physicist, editor of scientific during World War II. Although Abelson was not literature, and science writer. formally associated with the atom bomb project, the Liquid Thermal Diffusion isotope separation technique Philip Abelson was born in 1913 in Tacoma, that he invented was used in the S-50 plant in Oak Washington. He attended Washington State Ridge, Tennessee, and proved a critical step in University where he received degrees in Chemistry creating sufficient fuel for the weapon. and Physics, and the University of California, After the war, he turned his attention under the Berkeley, where he earned his Ph.D. in Nuclear guidancne of Ross Gunn (http://www.nap.edu/ Physics. As a young physicist, he worked for Ernest readingroom/books/biomems/rgunn.html) to applying Lawrence at the University of California, Berkeley. nuclear power to naval propulsion. While not written He was among the first American scientists to verfiy at an engineering-design level, he wrote the first Nuclear Fission in an article submitted to the physics report detailing how a nuclear reactor could Physical Review in February of 1939 (http:// be installed in a submarine, providing both propulsion prola.aps.org/abstract/PR/v55/i4/p418_1). In and electrical power. His report anticipated the addition, he collaborated with Nobel Prize winner nuclear submarine’s role as a missile platform. This Luis Alvarez in early nuclear research, and was the concept was later supported by Admiral Hyman G. co-discoverer of the element Neptunium on June 8, Rickover and others. Under Rickover’s relentless 1940 [with Edwin McMillan, who was awarded the leadership, concept became reality in the form of Nobel Prize for the discovery]. USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine. 2 Glossary on Kalinga Prize Laureates From 1951 until 1971 he served as the director of standards of scientific inquiry one must conclude the Carnegie Institution of Washington’s Geophysical that there has been more hype than solid fact.” Laboratory, and served as president of the Institution However, in 1977 in the foreword for a US National from 1971 to 1978. From 1962 to 1984 he was editor Research Council, Energy and Environment report of Science magazine, published by the American he wrote, “What should the atmospheric carbon Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), dioxide content be over the next century or two to and served as its acting Executive Officer in 1974, achieve an optimum global climate ?”, implying a 1975 and 1984. From 1972 until 1974 he served as level of connection between CO2 and climate that President of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). would put him outside today’s skeptic camp. During the 1970’s he became interested in the Dr. Abelson received many distinguished awards, problem of world energy supplies. Books on the topic including The President’s National Medal of Science, include “Energy for Tomorrow” (1975), from a series the National Science Foundation’s Distinguished of lectures at the University of Washington, and Achievement Award, the American Medical “Energy II : Use Conservation and Supply”. He Association’s Scientific Achievement Award, the pointed out the possibilities of mining the Atabascan Distinguished Civilian Service Medal and the Waldo tar sands, as well as shale oil in the Colorado E. Smith Medal in 1988. In 1992 he was awarded Rockies. In addition he urged conservation and a the Public Welfare Medal, the National Academy of change of attitude towards public transit. Philip H. Science’s highest honor. Abelson (1975). Energy For Tomorrow. Dr. Abelson’s wife Neva Abelson (1910-2000) was a Perhaps his most famous work from this time period distinguished research physician who co-discovered is an editorial entitled “Enough of Pessimism” the life-saving Rh blood factor test (with L.K. (“enough of pessimism, it only leads to paralysis Diamond). Their daughter, Dr. Ellen Abelson and decay”). This became the title of a 100 essay Cherniavsky, now retired, worked as an aviation collection. Philip H. Abelson (1985). Enough of researcher at The MITRE Corporation in Virginia. Pessimism. Philip Abselson died on August 1,2004 from After 1984, he remained associated with the respiratory complications following a brief illness. magazine. Some have claimed him to be an early skeptic of the case for global warming on the basis of a lead editorial in the magazine dated March 31, Source : 1990 in which he wrote, “If the global warming “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Abelson” situation is analyzed applying the customary q 3 Glossary on Kalinga Prize Laureates Philip H. Abelson A Biographical Profile Scientist and Editor [Born April 27, 1913, Tacoma, WA, U.S.A. Died : August 1, 2004] Philip H. Abelson served as editor of Science magazine from 1962 to 1984. As editor, he implemented more efficient peer review procedures for scientific papers submitted to the magazine and encouraged a more active style of science reporting that included broader coverage of science and policy issues. These records include correspondence, memos, editorials and minutes of editorial board meetings. Among his scientific accomplishments collaborated in the discovery of neptunium (element 93), devised a method for large-scale synthesis of enriched uranium for use as a power source in submarines, and was director of the Carnegie Institution of Washington’s Geophysical laboratory from 1953 to 1971. A number of Abelson’s personal papers, including speeches and other materials not related to his work as editor of Science, were given to the Library of Congress in early 2001. Abelson made contributions to the fields of nuclear and four of iodine. In 1940 Abeson’s attention focused physics, chemistry, microbiology, orgnanic on some work that E.M. McMillan had done the geochemistry, and to studies of the origin of life. previous year on neutron irradiation of thin layers He also wrote many items on science policy. containing uranium. McMillan had found that most of As a graduate student in 1939 at the Radiation the fission products escaped from the layer, but that Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, a nonrecoiling 2.3 - day beta emitter remained. Emilio Abelson was the first American scientist to identify Segrè had postulated that the activity followed the products of uranium fission. These included three chemistry of the ordinary rare earths and that the radioactive isotopes of antimony, six of tellurium, substance was not a transuranic. An alternative 4 è dfd Glossary on Kalinga Prize Laureates explanation occurred to Abelson. He felt that the The prospects for large-scale isotope separation activity was due to element 93, but that instead of were dim. At that time only microgram quantities of being an ekarhenium, element 93 was a member of uranium had been fractionated. Few uranium a new rare-earth series. Pointing out that cerium chemicals were available. Abelson devised a method could exist in two valence states, Abelson thought for large-scale synthesis of UF6 from UF4 and that the easiest way to demonstrate the existence produced the first 100 kilograms of the substance. of element 93 might be by its response to oxidzing He discovered that the uranium isotopes could be and reducing agents. He conducted some partially separated by liquid thermal diffusion. The experiments at the department of terrestrial process was conducted in an annular space with o o magnetism of the Camegie Institution of Washington cold wall at 70 C and hot wall at 286 C, with columns with encouraging but not clear-cut results. The 14 meters long. In a single column a maximum 235 235 intensities there did not permit use of thin-foil enrichment from 0.7 percent U to 1.4 percent U was obtained. By mid-1943 more than 100 kilograms technique. of partially fractionated 235U had been obtained, by Abelson went to Berkeley and discussed his ideas far the largest amount of fractionated uranium with McMillan. The two scientists then collaborated available at that time. A small pilot plant at the Naval in the discovery of element 93 (neptunium). McMillan Research Laboratory, then a larger pilot plant at the prepared and irradiated some of his thin layer Philadelphia Naval Base, and finally a 2100-column material. Within a day Abelson demonstrated that plant at Oak Ridge, TN, were built. The partially the 2.3-day activity could exist in at least two valence enriched uranium (0.85 percent 235U) was used as states. In the reduced state the fluoride was feed for the electromagnetic separation plant, which precipitated with a cerium carrier. However, in the in turn produced the 235U employed in one of the first presence of fluride and bromate in acid solution, the atomic bombs.

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