The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-10
Today S Science
: BY DAVID DIETZ-

CCIENCE will be master of the mysteries of the
~ atomic nucleus within another ten years
That is the opinion of Dr. Earold G. Urey pro-
fesSor of chemistry at Columbia university who has
greatly accelerated the rate of progress in this field
by his recent discovery of heavy water" and the
double-weght hydrogen atom.
Advances are coming so fast in the field of
nuclear physics that the monthly journals of the
world of science are too slow to keep up with the
rapidty of the forward march.
The time has come when scientists almost re-
qure daily newspaper of their own Professor Urey
An example of the rapidity of the progress was
given few weeks ago when the National Academy
Of Sciences meeting in WASHINGTON
At that meeting. Dr. R. A. Millikan reported new
results which had Just been obtained in his labora-
tory by DR.. c. c. Lauritsen and Dr. H r. Crane
Ordinarily. DR.. LauritSen would have explained his
results in person.
But results were coming so rapidlv DIR Mirkan
explained that DR.. Lauritsen was unwilling to leave
his apparatus long enough to make the trip from
Pasadena, Cal, to Washington.
ITO the casual observer. the present time NAV
u seems merely as one in which scientists are
piling one confusing theory upon another and COM
plicating the atomic picture by talk of neutrons and
POSITIONS and protons and eectrons
To the scientist. however. these days are among
the most exciting in the history of the world
As DR.. Henry A. Barton. director of the American
Institute Of Physics scientists regard the pres
ent time as Of greater Importance than those days
at the end of the nineteenth century when X-ravs
and radium were discovered.
Professor Urey expects that experiments with
heavyweight hydrogen. deuterium as he prefers
TO call it, will play important part in enabling
scientists TO unravel the problems of nuclear physics
This is because it is an atom with so simple
nucleus
Simplest of all atoms is that of ordinary or light
weigh hydrogen.
Its nucleus consists of merely one proton Heavy
weight hydrogen has nucleus which consists of one
proton and one neutron. Hence it is the simplest
atom in which the forces binding together nuclear
particles can be studied.
This problem is extremely difficult one Most
physicists believe that the complicated quantum me-
chanlc worked out 10 explain the behavior of the
outer electrons of atom that is those which sur
round the nucleus, will not prove sufficient to ex-
plain what goes on within the nucleus
d GENTLY. DR.. Urey revealed how he and his
IN associates. DR.. F. G. Brickwedde of the United
States bureau of standards and Dr. G. NJ. Murphy of
Columbia university. accomplished the discovery of
heavyweight hydrogen.
The possibility Of the existence of hydrogen
isotope had occurred to me years before" he said
The method Of concentration namely the distilla-
ton Of liquid hydrogen. occurred to at lunch one
day In August 1881 I Immediately discussed it with
DR.. Murphy. who was then my research assistant
We went to work Immediately and in one month did
about four months work We did fully two reason
able DAYS ka day and worked Sundays and
Thanksgiving day as we'll"
DR.. Brickwedde prepared the concentrated sam
pies Of hydrogen for the experiments.