Joseph Rotblat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Rotblat
|
|
|---|---|
Los Alamos badge photograph, 1944
|
|
| Born |
Józef Rotblat
4 November 1908 Warsaw, Warsaw Governorate, Russian Empire
|
| Died | 31 August 2005 (aged 96) London, United Kingdom
|
| Nationality | Polish-British |
| Alma mater |
|
| Known for |
|
| Spouse(s) | Tola Gryn |
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions |
|
| Thesis | Determination of a number of neutrons emitted from a source (1950) |
| Doctoral advisor | James Chadwick |
Sir Joseph Rotblat (born Józef Rotblat, 4 November 1908 – 31 August 2005) was a famous physicist from Poland and Britain. During World War II, he worked on the secret projects to build an atomic bomb. However, he left the Los Alamos Laboratory in 1944. He did this because he believed Germany was no longer trying to build a bomb. He felt it was wrong to continue working on such a powerful weapon.
His research on nuclear fallout helped lead to the 1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. This treaty stopped most nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere. He also signed the 1955 Russell–Einstein Manifesto. This was a call from scientists to prevent nuclear war. He was a key leader of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. These meetings brought scientists together to discuss peace. In 1995, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the Pugwash Conferences. They won for their work to reduce and eventually get rid of nuclear weapons.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Józef Rotblat was born on 4 November 1908, in Warsaw, Poland. At that time, Poland was part of the Russian Empire. He grew up in a large family. His father owned a horse-drawn carriage business. But World War I caused the family to lose everything. They became very poor. Even though he grew up in a religious family, Joseph became an agnostic by age ten. This means he doubted the existence of God.
His parents could not afford to send him to a regular high school. So, Joseph studied at a technical school. He learned about electrical engineering and graduated in 1923. After school, he worked as an electrician in Warsaw. But his dream was to become a physicist. In 1929, he applied to the Free University of Poland. He passed the physics exam easily. He was accepted by Ludwik Wertenstein, a well-known scientist.
Joseph earned his Master of Arts degree in 1932. Then he went to the University of Warsaw. He earned his Doctor of Physics degree in 1938. He also worked as a researcher at the Scientific Society of Warsaw. He became an assistant director at the Atomic Physics Institute.
Marriage and Early Discoveries
During this time, Joseph married Tola Gryn. She was a literature student. They met at a student summer camp in 1930.
Before World War II began, Rotblat made an important discovery. He found that neutrons were released during nuclear fission. This is when an atom's nucleus splits. He realized that if many atoms split very quickly, a huge amount of energy would be released. He calculated that this could happen in less than a microsecond. This rapid release of energy would cause an explosion.
In 1939, Joseph was invited to study with James Chadwick in England. Chadwick had won the Nobel Prize for discovering the neutron. Joseph wanted to build a similar machine in Warsaw. So he went to the University of Liverpool to work with Chadwick. He traveled alone because he couldn't afford to bring Tola.
Chadwick soon gave Joseph a special scholarship. This doubled his income. In the summer of 1939, Joseph went home to bring Tola back to England. But Tola was sick after an operation. She stayed behind, expecting to follow soon. However, the war started, and she became trapped. Joseph tried desperately to get her out. But each country closed its borders. He never saw her again. Tola was tragically killed during the Holocaust. This loss deeply affected him. He never married again.
Working on the Atomic Bomb
While still in Poland, Rotblat understood that nuclear fission could be used to create an atomic bomb. At first, he wanted to forget about it. But he continued his research. He believed the only way to stop Nazi Germany from using a nuclear bomb was if Britain had one too. This would act as a deterrent. He worked with Chadwick on "Tube Alloys." This was the secret British atomic bomb project.
In 1944, Rotblat joined the Manhattan Project in the United States. This was the American project to build the atomic bomb. He worked at the Los Alamos Laboratory. He was part of the British team. He felt uneasy about creating such a destructive weapon. But he still believed the Allies needed it to threaten Germany. Most people working on the project had to become US or British citizens. Rotblat refused, and they allowed him to work anyway. At Los Alamos, he worked on how gamma rays might affect the nuclear reaction.
Rotblat had serious doubts about using science for such a powerful weapon. In 1944, it became clear that Germany had stopped its own bomb development. Rotblat then asked to leave the project. He returned to Liverpool because he felt it was no longer necessary.
Nuclear Fallout Research
After returning to Britain, Rotblat became a senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool. He became a British citizen in 1946. Most of his family had survived the war. His sister and other family members were able to escape Poland with help. They lived with him in London for a while.
Rotblat felt betrayed when atomic bombs were used against Japan. He gave public talks, asking for a break in all atomic research. He wanted his own research to be used only for peaceful purposes. He became interested in how radiation could be used in medicine and biology. In 1949, he became a Professor of Physics at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London. He stayed there for the rest of his career. He also worked on official groups related to nuclear physics. He helped create the Atom Train, a traveling exhibit about peaceful nuclear energy.
At St Bartholomew's, Rotblat studied how radiation affects living things. He focused on aging and fertility. This led him to study nuclear fallout. This is the radioactive dust that falls after a nuclear explosion. He was especially interested in strontium-90 and safe levels of radiation. In 1955, he showed that the fallout from the Castle Bravo nuclear test was much worse than officially stated. This test was done by the United States. He discovered that the bomb had three stages. He showed that the final stage greatly increased the amount of radioactivity. His findings were shared in the media. This helped lead to the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Working for Peace
Rotblat strongly believed that scientists must think about the moral effects of their work. He became a leading voice against the nuclear arms race. In 1955, he was the youngest person to sign the Russell–Einstein Manifesto. This document urged people to prevent nuclear war. He also led the press conference that launched it.
After the manifesto, Cyrus Eaton offered to fund the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. This group brought together smart people to reduce conflict. They especially focused on nuclear weapons. Rotblat helped organize the first conference in 1957. He continued to work with them until his death. In 1958, Rotblat joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). Even during the Cold War, he pushed for scientists from different countries to work together.
The Pugwash Conferences helped create important treaties. These include the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963 and the Nonproliferation Treaty of 1968. They also helped with treaties on biological and chemical weapons. Along with the Pugwash Conferences, he helped found the World Academy of Art and Science. This group was created in 1960.
He also signed an agreement to create a world constitution. This led to a meeting to draft a "Constitution for the Federation of Earth."
Later Life and Legacy
Rotblat retired from St Bartholomew's in 1976. He believed scientists have a personal moral responsibility. He thought scientists should have their own code of conduct. This would be like the Hippocratic Oath for doctors. He called it a Hippocratic Oath for scientists.
Rotblat never stopped campaigning against nuclear weapons. He often said that the Russell–Einstein Manifesto was still important. He believed its main message was: "Above all, remember your humanity." He was also the editor of the journal Physics in Medicine and Biology. He was president of several groups. He also helped start the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. He was an advisor for the 1984 film Threads, which showed the effects of nuclear war.
Rotblat had a stroke in 2004. His health got worse. He passed away on 31 August 2005, in London.
Awards and Honors
Rotblat received many awards for his work. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1965. He won the Albert Einstein Peace Prize in 1992. In 1995, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. In 1998, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. This gave him the title "Sir."
In 1995, Rotblat shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the Pugwash Conferences. They were honored for their efforts to reduce nuclear weapons. They also worked to get rid of them completely. The Nobel committee praised his "untiring devotion" and "inspiration." He was also made an honorary member of the International Association of Physics Students. He received the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in India in 1999.
A special plaque honoring Joseph Rotblat was put up in London in 2017. It is near the offices of British Pugwash.
See also
In Spanish: Józef Rotblat para niños
- List of Poles
- List of Polish Nobel laureates
- List of Jewish Nobel laureates
