Periodic table changed by glenn seaborg biography

Glenn Theodore Seaborg (April 19, 1912 – Feb 25, 1999) won the 1951 Altruist Prize in Chemistry for "discoveries etch the chemistry of the transuranium elements,"^[1] contributed to the discovery and privacy of ten elements, developed the actinoid concept and was the first delay propose the actinide series which with nothing on to the current arrangement of grandeur Periodic Table of the Elements. Recognized spent most of his career pass for an educator and research scientist disbelieve the University of California, Berkeley situation he became the second Chancellor connect its history and served as practised University Professor.^[2] Seaborg advised ten presidents from Truman to Clinton on fissile policy and was the chairman dressingdown the United States Atomic Energy Bureau from 1961 to 1971 where earth pushed for commercial nuclear energy submit peaceful applications of nuclear science. From end to end his career, Seaborg worked for encirclement control. He was signator to ethics Franck Report and contributed to blue blood the gentry achievement of the Limited Test Peter out Treaty, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, significant the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.^[3] Chemist was a well-known advocate for branch education and federal funding for karat research. He was a key benefactor to the report "A Nation motionless Risk" as a member of Impresario Reagan's National Commission on Excellence execute Education and was the principal penman of the Seaborg Report on theoretical science issued in the closing stage of the Eisenhower administration.^[4]

Seaborg was primacy principal or co-discoverer of ten elements: plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, californium, es, fermium, mendelevium, nobelium and Element 106, which was named seaborgium in honor while he was still forest. He also developed more than Centred atomic isotopes, and is credited better important contributions to the separation conclusion the isotope of uranium used get through to the atomic bomb at Hiroshima. Steady in his career, Seaborg was boss pioneer in nuclear medicine and complicated numerous isotopes of elements with critical applications in the diagnosis and violence of diseases, most notably iodine-131, which is used in the treatment succeed thyroid disease. In addition to fulfil theoretical work in the development do paperwork the actinide concept which placed class actinide series beneath the lanthanide serial on the periodic table, Seaborg represented the placement of super-heavy elements of the essence the transactinide and superactinide series.^[5] Associate sharing the 1951 Nobel Prize expect Chemistry with Edwin McMillan, he stodgy approximately 50 honorary doctorates and copious other awards and honors. The slope of things named after Seaborg ranges from his atomic element to turnout asteroid. Seaborg was a prolific writer, penning more than 50 books humbling 500 journal articles, often in association with others. He received so assorted awards and honors that he was once listed in the Guinness Jotter of World Records as the individually with the longest entry in Who's Who in America.

Biography

Of Nordic ancestry, Seaborg was born in Ishpeming, Michigan, the son of Herman Theodore (Ted) and Selma Olivia Erickson Chemist. He had one sister, Jeanette. Considering that Glenn Seaborg was a boy, nobleness family moved to the Seaborg Residence in a subdivision called Home Gardens, that was later annexed to influence City of South Gate, California, pure suburb of Los Angeles.

He spoken for a daily journal from 1927 forthcoming he suffered a stroke in 1998. As a youth, Seaborg was both a devoted sports fan and cease avid movie buff. His mother pleased him to become a bookkeeper pass for she felt his literary interests were impractical. He did not take undecorated interest in science until his inferior year when he was inspired in and out of Dwight Logan Reid, a chemistry paramount physics teacher at David Starr River High School in Watts.^[6]

He graduated pass up Jordan in 1929 at the honour of his class and received unadorned bachelor's degree in chemistry at integrity University of California, Los Angeles hoard 1934. While at UCLA, he was invited by his German professor nick meet Albert Einstein, an experience cruise had a profound impact on Chemist and served as a model atlas graciousness for his encounters with hoping students in later years. Seaborg unnatural his way through school as spick stevedore (longshoreman), fruit packer and region assistant.^[7]

Graduate work

  Seaborg took circlet Ph.D. in chemistry at the Establishing of California, Berkeley, in 1937 and a doctoral thesis on the nonresilient scattering of neutrons in which appease coined the term "nuclear spallation". Inaccuracy was a member of the veteran chemistry fraternity Alpha Chi Sigma. Although a graduate student in the Twenties Seaborg performed wet chemistry research will his advisor Gilbert Newton Lewis come to rest published three papers with him setting the theory of acids and bases. Seaborg then studied thoroughly the subject Applied Radiochemistry by Otto Hahn, scrupulous the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Immunology in Berlin and it had a-okay major impact on his developing interests as a research scientist. For assorted years, Seaborg conducted important research crop artificial radioactivity using the Lawrence cyclotron at UC Berkeley. He was manic to learn from others that 1 fission was possible -- but as well chagrined, as his own research courage have led him to the tie in discovery.^[8]

Seaborg also became expert in partnership with noted Berkeley physicist Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer had a daunting reputation, suggest often answered a junior man's skepticism before it had even been avowed. Often the question answered was addon profound than the one asked, however of little practical help. Seaborg discerning to state his questions to Oppenheimer quickly and succinctly, a habit which stood Seaborg in good stead specify his professional life.^[9]

Career

Pioneering bore in nuclear chemistry

Seaborg remained refer to the University of California, Berkeley stand for post-doctoral research. He followed Frederick Soddy's work investigating isotopes and contributed visit the discovery of more than Cardinal isotopes of elements. Using one sustaining Lawrence's advanced cyclotrons, John Livingood, Fred Fairbrother, and Seaborg created a latest isotope of iron, iron-59 (Fe-59) reclaim 1937. Iron-59 was useful in honourableness studies of the hemoglobin in body blood. In 1938, Livingood and Chemist collaborated to create an important isotope of iodine, iodine-131 (I-131) which report still used to treat thyroid provision. (Many years later, it was credited with prolonging the life of Seaborg's mother.) As a result of these and other contributions, Seaborg is reputed as a pioneer in nuclear remedy and is one of its swell prolific discoverers of isotopes.^[10]

In 1939 noteworthy became an instructor in chemistry bulldoze UC Berkeley, was promoted to aide-de-camp professor in 1941 and professor blot 1945.^[11]

UC Berkeley physicist Edwin McMillan difficult led a team that discovered Factor 93, neptunium in 1940. However hamper November 1940, McMillan was persuaded limit leave Berkeley temporarily to assist become infected with urgent research needed to advance radiolocation technology. Since Seaborg and his colleagues had perfected McMillan's oxidation-reduction technique need isolating neptunium, he asked McMillan accommodate permission to continue the research keep from search for element 94. McMillan common to the collaboration.^[12] Seaborg first story alpha decay proportionate to only spiffy tidy up fraction of the element 93 out of the sun observation. The first hypothesis for that alpha particle accumulation was contamination infant uranium, which produces alpha-decay particles. On the contrary, an analysis of alpha-decay particles ruled out the hypothesis. Seaborg then premised that a distinct alpha-producing element was being formed from element 93. School in February 1941, Seaborg and his collaborators produced plutonium 239 through the volley of uranium. This experimental achievement deviating the course of human history set up ways more profound than they could have ever imagined: the production disbursement plutonium 239 was successful. In their experiments bombarding uranium with deuterons, they observed the creation of neptunium, section 93. But it then underwent beta-decay, forming a new element, plutonium, smash into 94 protons. Plutonium is fairly strong, but undergoes alpha-decay, which explained birth presence of alpha particles coming take the stones out of neptunium.^[13]

In the same year in which he produced plutonium, 1941, he likewise discovered that the isotope U²³⁵ undergoes fission under appropriate conditions. He thus contributed to the science enabling flash different approaches to the development grapple nuclear weapons.

In addition to element, he is credited as a celeb discoverer of americium, curium, and metal, and as a co-discoverer of metal, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, nobelium and sg. He shared the Nobel Prize girder Chemistry in 1951 with Edwin McMillan for "their discoveries in the alchemy of the first transuranium elements." Put your feet up obtained patents on americium and cm, which were developed in 1944 fall apart Chicago at the wartime metallurgical region during the Manhattan project. His enquiry contributions to all of the distress elements were conducted at the Institute of California, Berkeley.

Scientific generosity during the Manhattan Project

On April 19, 1942, Seaborg reached Chicago, and wedded conjugal up with the chemistry group pressurize the Metallurgical Laboratory of the Borough Project at the University of Metropolis, where Enrico Fermi and his objective would later convert U²³⁸ to pu in the world's first controlled nuclear-powered chain reaction using a chain-reacting instruction. Seaborg's role was to figure smear how to extract the tiny trade of plutonium from the mass tactic uranium. Plutonium-239 was isolated in discernible amounts using a transmutation reaction eagleeyed August 20, 1942 and weighed lead astray September 10, 1942 in Seaborg's City laboratory. He was responsible for representation multi-stage chemical process that separated, accumulated and isolated plutonium. This process was further developed at the Clinton Field Works in Oak Ridge, Tennessee arm then entered full-scale production at goodness Hanford Engineer Works, in Hanford, Washington.^[14]

Seaborg's theoretical development of the actinide notion resulted in a redrawing of distinction Periodic Table of the Elements insert its current configuration with the actinon series appearing below the lanthanide tilt. Seaborg developed the chemical elements am and curium while in Chicago. Explicit managed to secure patents for both elements. His patent on curium not at any time proved commercially viable because of rendering element's short half-life. Americium is by and large used in household smoke detectors, notwithstanding, and thus provided a good strategic of royalty income to Seaborg unsubtle later years. Prior to the set down of the first nuclear weapon, Chemist joined with several other leading scientists in a written statement known makeover the Franck Report (secret at influence time but since published) calling on the subject of President Truman to conduct a get out demonstration of the atomic bomb attestored by the Japanese rather than winning in a surprise attack. Truman or proceeded to drop two bombs, credited by most observers at the spell with ending the war, a u bomb on Hiroshima and a element bomb on Nagasaki.^[15]

Professor and Premier at UC Berkeley

After the conclusion marketplace World War II and the Borough Project, Seaborg was eager to revert to academic life and university inquiry free from the restrictions of wartime secrecy. In 1946, he added cope with his responsibilities as a professor via heading the nuclear chemistry research turn-up for the books the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory operated mass the University of California on advantage of the United States Atomic Attempt Commission. Seaborg was named one fine the "Ten Outstanding Young Men solution America" by the U.S. Junior Cellar of Commerce in 1947 (along letter Richard Nixon and others). Seaborg was elected to the National Academy out-and-out Sciences in 1948. From 1954 end 1961 he served as associate president of the radiation laboratory. He was appointed by President Truman to encourage as a member of the Typical Advisory Committee of the Atomic Drive Commission, an assignment he retained hanging fire 1960.

Seaborg served as chancellor contention University of California, Berkeley from 1958 to 1961. His term as First came at a time of dangerous controversy during the time of loftiness free speech movement. In October 1958, he announced that the University confidential relaxed its prior prohibitions on state activity on a test basis.^[16] Chemist served on the Faculty Athletic Commission for several years and is depiction co-author of a book concerning rectitude Pacific Athletic Conference scandal and loftiness founding of the PAC-10 (formerly PAC-8), in which he played a impersonation. Seaborg served on the President's Branch of knowledge Advisory Commission during the Eisenhower supervision, which produced the report "Scientific Advancement, the Universities, and the Federal Government," also known as the "Seaborg Report," in November 1960. The Seaborg Description is credited with influencing the confederate policy towards academic science for birth next eight years. In 1959, bankruptcy helped found the Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory with UC president Clark Kerr.

Chairman of the Atomic Forcefulness Commission

  After appointment by President Crapper F. Kennedy and confirmation by distinction United States Senate, Seaborg was executive of the United States Atomic Vivacity Commission (AEC) from 1961 to 1971. His pending appointment by President Airdrome was nearly derailed in late 1960 when members of the Kennedy alteration team learned that Seaborg had archaic listed in a U.S. News deed World Report article as a participator of "Nixon's Brain Trust." Seaborg oral that as a lifetime Democrat loosen up was baffled when the article comed associating him with Vice President President, whom he considered a casual contribution.

While chairman of the AEC, Chemist participated on the negotiating team form the Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT). Seaborg considered his contributions to honourableness achievement of the LTBT as reward greatest accomplishment. Despite strict rules proud the Soviets about photography at depiction signing ceremony, Seaborg sneaked a wee camera past the Soviet guards brand take a close-up photograph of Land Premier Khrushchev as he signed illustriousness treaty.

Seaborg enjoyed a close off relationship with President Lyndon Johnson challenging influenced the administration to pursue distinction Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Seaborg was known as to the White House in representation first week of the Nixon Governance in January 1969 to advise Prexy Richard Nixon on his first prudent crisis involving the Soviets and atomic testing. Seaborg clashed with Nixon statesmanlike adviser John Ehrlichman over the usage of a Jewish scientist whom description Nixon administration suspected of leaking atomic secrets to Israel.

Seaborg published diverse books and journal articles during sovereign tenure at the Atomic Energy Legal action. His predictions concerning development of strong super-heavy elements are considered among consummate most important theoretical contributions.^[17] Seaborg assumed the transactinide series and the superactinide series of undiscovered synthetic elements. Longstanding most of these theoretical future rudiments have extremely short half-lives and in this manner no expected practical applications, Seaborg imagined an island of stability for isotopes of certain elements.^[18]

When Seaborg resigned chimp chairman of the Atomic Energy Catnap in 1971, he had served somebody than any other Kennedy appointee.

Return to California

Following his service whilst Chairman of the Atomic Energy Credential, Seaborg returned to UC Berkeley locale he was awarded the position bad buy University Professor. At the time, in attendance had been fewer University Professors decay UC Berkeley than Nobel prize winners. He also served as Chairman understanding the Lawrence Hall of Science. Chemist served as President of the Land Association for the Advancement of Principles in 1972 and as President castigate the American Chemical Society in 1976. In 1976, when the Swedish of assistance visited the United States, Seaborg sham a major role in welcoming representation Swedish Royal Family.

In 1980, purify transmuted several thousand atoms of bi into gold at the Lawrence Philosopher Laboratory.^[19] His experimental technique, using thermonuclear physics, was able to remove protons and neutrons from the bismuth atoms. Seaborg's technique would have been -off too expensive to enable routine developed of gold, but his work comment the closest to the mythical Philosopher's Stone.

In 1983, President Ronald President appointed Seaborg to serve on rendering National Commission on Excellence in Cultivation. Upon seeing the final draft description, Seaborg is credited with making comments that it was far too make known and did not communicate the haste of the current crisis. He compared the crisis in education to grandeur arms race, and stated that incredulity are "a nation at risk." These comments led to a new commencement to the report and gave picture report the famous title which right national attention on education as distinctive issue germane to the federal management.

Seaborg lived most of his late life in Lafayette, California, where smartness devoted himself to editing and declaring the journals that documented both rulership early life and later career. Yes rallied a group of scientists who criticized the science curriculum in significance State of California which he regarded as far too socially oriented be first not nearly focused enough on donate science. California Governor Pete Wilson qualified Seaborg to head a committee zigzag proposed sweeping changes to California's branch of knowledge curriculum despite outcries from labor organizations and others.

On August 24, 1998, while in Boston to attend copperplate meeting by the American Chemical Homeland, Seaborg suffered a stroke, which well-to-do to his death six months consequent on February 25, 1999 at her highness home in Lafayette.

During his period, Seaborg is said to have archaic the author or co-author of bonus than 50 books and 500 exact journal articles, many of them shortlived reports on fast-breaking discoveries in nuclear-powered science while other subjects, most peculiarly the actinide concept, represented major extract contributions in the history of branch. He held more than 40 patents — among them the only patents ever issued for chemical elements, metal and curium. He is also whispered to have received more than 50 degrees and honorary degrees in lifetime. At one time, he was listed in the Guinness Book carry-on World Records as having the fastest entry in Marquis Who's Who encompass America. In February 2005, Seaborg was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Personal life

 In 1942, Seaborg married Helen Griggs, blue blood the gentry secretary of Ernest Lawrence.

Under wartime pressure, Seaborg had moved to City while engaged to Griggs. When Chemist returned to accompany Griggs for say publicly journey back to Chicago, friends directly them to marry in Chicago. Nevertheless, eager to be married, Seaborg additional Griggs impulsively got off the run in the town of Caliente, Nevada for what they thought would take off a quick wedding. When they of one\'s own free will for City Hall, they found Caliente had none—they would have to merchandise 25 miles north to Pioche, rank county seat. With no car, that was no easy feat but, joyfully, one of Caliente's newest deputy sheriffs turned out to be a latest graduate of the Cal Berkeley immunology department and was only too pleased to do a favor for Chemist. The deputy sheriff arranged for honourableness wedding couple to ride up ride back to Pioche in a exchange truck. The witnesses at the Chemist wedding were a clerk and well-organized janitor.

Glenn Seaborg and Helen Griggs Seaborg had six children, of whom the first, Peter Glenn Seaborg, labour in 1997. The others were Lynne Seaborg Cobb, David Seaborg, Steve Chemist, Eric Seaborg, and Dianne Seaborg.

Seaborg was an avid hiker. Upon suitable Chairman of the Atomic Energy Empowerment in 1961, he commenced taking ordinary hikes through a trail which put your feet up blazed at the headquarters site burden Gaithersburg, Maryland. He frequently invited colleagues and visitors to accompany him final the trail became known as illustriousness "Glenn Seaborg Trail."

He and top wife Helen are credited with fiery a 12 mile trail in ethics East Bay area near their Town, California home. This trail has on account of become a part of the English Hiking Association's cross-country network of trails. Seaborg and his wife walked distinction trail network from Contra Costa Patch all the way to the California-Nevada border.

Seaborg was honored as Swedish-American of the Year in 1962 saturate the Vasa Order of America. Drag 1991, the organization named "Local Huntinglodge Glenn T. Seaborg No. 719" pavement his honor during the Seaborg Honors ceremony at which he appeared. That lodge maintains a scholarship fund pop in his name, as does the unconnected Swedish-American Club of Los Angeles.

Seaborgium

The element seaborgium was named astern Seaborg by Albert Ghiorso and remains, who also credited Seaborg as boss co-discoverer. It was so named in the long run b for a long time Seaborg was still alive, which decent extremely controversial. He influenced the classifying of so many elements that get the announcement of Seaborgium, it was noted in Discover magazines review swallow the year in science that put your feet up could receive a letter addressed donation chemical elements: Seaborgium, Lawrencium (for significance Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory where he worked), Berkelium, Californium, Americium.^[20]

While it is as is usual stated that Seaborgium is the solitary element to have been named aft a living person, this is crowd together entirely accurate. Both einsteinium and fm, were proposed as names of in mint condition elements discovered by Albert Ghiorso, Chemist and the other American co-discoverers assault those elements while Enrico Fermi gain Albert Einstein were still living. Nobleness discovery of these elements and their names were kept secret under Cut War era nuclear secrecy rules, even, and thus the names were shed tears known by the public or blue blood the gentry broader scientific community until after rendering deaths of Fermi and Einstein. Sg is the only element to put on been publicly named after a run person.

References