Philip Abelson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Philip Abelson
Philip Abelson
Born	April 27, 1913 Tacoma, Washington, United States
Died	August 1, 2004 (aged 91) Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Washington State University University of California, Berkeley
Known for	Discovery of neptunium, isotope separation techniques
Awards	Kalinga Prize (1972) National Medal of Science (1987) Public Welfare Medal (1992) Vannevar Bush Award (1996)
Scientific career
Fields	Nuclear physics

Philip Hauge Abelson (born April 27, 1913 – died August 1, 2004) was an American physicist and a well-known science writer. He was a nuclear physicist, which means he studied the tiny parts inside atoms. He helped discover a new element called neptunium. He also worked on important ways to separate different types of atoms for the Manhattan Project. Later, he wrote the first study about using nuclear power for submarines.

Abelson was the main editor of the famous science magazine Science for many years (1962–1984). He also led the Carnegie Institution of Washington and the American Geophysical Union. His writings in Science were known for being strong and making people think. He might have been the first person to say, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".

Philip Abelson: A Science Pioneer

Early Life and Discoveries

Philip Abelson was born in Tacoma, Washington, on April 27, 1913. He went to Washington State University and studied chemistry and physics. Later, he earned his PhD in nuclear physics from the University of California, Berkeley.

As a young physicist, he worked with Ernest Lawrence at UC Berkeley. In 1939, he was one of the first American scientists to confirm nuclear fission. This is when an atom's nucleus splits into smaller parts.

Uncovering Neptunium

From 1939 to 1941, Abelson worked at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C.. Here, he studied a substance that gave off beta rays. This substance was made by shining neutrons onto uranium. He worked with Nobel Prize laureate Luis Walter Alvarez. Together, they found and identified this new material. On June 8, 1940, Philip Abelson and Edwin McMillan became the co-discoverers of neptunium. McMillan later won the Nobel Prize for this and other discoveries.

World War II and Atomic Energy

Helping the Manhattan Project

During World War II, Abelson played a key role in the Manhattan Project. This was a secret project to build the first atom bomb. He worked with the Naval Research Laboratory. Abelson invented a special way to separate different types of atoms, called isotope separation. This method was used in a plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It was very important for making the large amount of nuclear fuel needed for atomic bombs.

Powering Submarines

After the war, Abelson focused on using nuclear power for ships. He wrote the first physics report explaining how a nuclear reactor could power a submarine. This reactor would provide both movement and electricity. His report even predicted that nuclear submarines could carry missiles. Admiral Hyman G. Rickover later supported this idea. This led to the creation of USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear submarine.

Leading the World of Science

In 1946, Abelson returned to the Carnegie Institution. He became the director of its Geophysical Laboratory in 1953. From 1971 to 1978, he served as the president of the Carnegie Institution.

Editor of Science Magazine

From 1962 to 1984, Philip Abelson was the editor of Science. This is one of the most important academic journals in the world. He was known for his strong opinions on science. In 1964, he wrote that focusing too much on one small area of science, called overspecialization, was like being narrow-minded. He believed it could make a scientist's work become outdated.

Exploring Ancient Life and Energy

In 1965, Abelson wrote about his work in paleobiology. This is the study of ancient life. He found evidence of amino acids in very old fossils. He also found fatty acids in rocks that were over a billion years old. He thought that some of these chemicals could last for billions of years.

Abelson also became very interested in the world's energy supplies in the 1970s. He wrote books like Energy for Tomorrow. He talked about getting oil from Athabascan tar sands and oil shale in the Colorado Rockies. He also encouraged people to save energy and use public transportation more often.

Thoughts on Climate Change

After 1984, Abelson continued to be involved with Science magazine. Some people have said he doubted the idea of global warming. In a 1990 article, he wrote that there was "more hype than solid fact" about global warming.

However, this view is different from what he said earlier. In a 1977 report, he co-chaired a committee that discussed climate change. In that report, he and Thomas F. Malone wrote that a large increase in carbon dioxide could lead to a big rise in global temperature. They said this would have a "highly significant impact on global precipitation."

Philip Abelson passed away on August 1, 2004. He was married to Neva Abelson, a respected research physician. She helped discover the Rh blood factor test.

Awards and Lasting Impact

Abelson received many important awards for his work. These include the National Medal of Science in 1987 and the Public Welfare Medal in 1992. The Public Welfare Medal is the highest honor given by the National Academy of Sciences. He was also chosen as a fellow of many important scientific groups.

The mineral abelsonite is named after Philip Abelson. This was to honor his contributions to studying chemicals in rocks. A building at Washington State University is also named after him and his wife, called the Philip and Neva Abelson Hall. The AAAS Philip Hauge Abelson Prize is also named in his honor.

See also

In Spanish: Philip Hauge Abelson para niños