Laurel outlook., 1947-07-23
Humans Termed
Atomic Bombs
Science Finds Explosions
Take Place in Body to
Create Energy.

MARCUS HOOK, PA.-Each min
ute of each human beings life
about 100000 radioactive carbon
atoms go pop in his body, and these
atomic explosions release a total
energy of 81 billion electron volts.
This calculation, based on a dis
covery at the Houdry Process cor
poration plant here that cosmic
rays produce radioactive carbon,
was made by DR.. Aristide V.
Crosse of the Houdry company.
The implications are astonishing,
not because the 81 billion electron
volts is in itself high for radioactive
ity, but because the occurrence of
this charge all through the living
body will result in a denomination
Of such things as human immunity
to ra6.oactivity, the possible effects
as a cause of cancer and whether
atom bombs are likely to cause as
serious hereditary changes as some
scientists have predicted.
May Confer Immunity
If man is subject all his life to
this carbon radioactivity, it pos
sibly confers more immunity than
has been expected. Furthermore,
the probabilities are that a new and
radioactive form of hydrogen,
known as tritium, also is manufac-
tured by cosmic rays. Hydrogen
also would find its way into the hui
man body.
"This radioactive carbon IA" DR..
Crosse said, "is the first substance
found to be created by cosmic rays.
I do not think it is the last"
The carbon is created by trans
mutation of nitrogen of the air.
Plants draw in some of it in the
chemical photosynthesis process of
using sunlight. More falls to the
earth to be picked up by plants,
and thence to animals that eat the
plants and to man who eats both.
This radioactive carbon has a
half-life of 5000 years, which mean
that in that length of time, half Of
what is created on any day reverts
to nitrogen by the process of giving
off electrons, or beta rays. This
half-life means that today there is
still some radioactive carbon in
that was created 5000 years
ago.
Six Men Work at 1t.
The discovery of the carbon, an
nounced in the Journal of Science,
was the work of six scientists, Drs.
w. F. Libby and E. c. Anderson of
University of Chicago and Drs.
Crosse, S. Weinhouse, A. F. Reid
and A. D. Kirshenbaum, all of the
Houdry company.
Years ago DR.. Crosse predicted
that cosmic rays produced radio
active atoms. DR.. Libby more re-
Gently. predicted the radioactive
carbon and how much. ~Investiga-
ton Of methane gas from Baltimore
sewage showed that Libby's predic-
ton hit the amount right on the
nose.
Now it is proposed to analyze the
stratosphere in planes to verify pre-
dictions that more is produced
there than lower down.
A greater production also is ex-
pected to be found in polar regions
because cosmic rays tend to con-
centrate there. The Chicago s~cien-
lists are studying the meat of some
Of the seals brought back by the
Byrd expedition to the Ant
arctic to learn whether polar ami
contain more of the popping
carbon.
The amount Of radioactive carbon
the human body, DR.. Crosse said,
less than a millionth of l per cent
Of the total carbon. /
He said the unanswered question
whether this small amount of car
BON may influence cancer now may
De answered by taking the same
zind of radioactive carbon that is
made by atomic piles and feeding it
animals.