Evening star., 1949-08-14
The Atoms POtentialS
Their Development Creates Immense Tasks
Without Precedent in History
By DR.. 4lan Gregg

, waiting and reckless inadvertence. the Atom
| ic Energy Commission is devoting extensive
| and unf1aggng attention to the biological
| and medical effects of radiant energy-both
| those that may prove to be benefcent and
| those that may MAIN or kill. When man
| first discovered fire he began a long ap-
premiership to caution in dealing with what
| is both useful and dangerous-and the end
| Is not yet.
| The story of the Garden of Eden and
| the myth of the Promethean fire find un-
| canny parallels in the huge responsibilities
| of the Atomic Energy Commission to con-
| troll the unprecedented forces of atomic
energy for the welfare of man. To control
| the use of this power. to explore its nature
its implications and potential applications
and at the same time to protect us all
| against its dangers-these responsibilities set
| a series of tasks that also are without prec-
| edent and all but immeasurabe.
A New World Before Us.
| The commission is charged by law with
| the exclusive control of materials, equip
| ment and processes which are unique, con-
stantly dangerous, and certainly not yet
sufficiently understood. To this task is added
the difficult circumstances, foreign to most
other scientific enterprise, of secrecy. There
fore the commission has every reason to
assume extensive responsibilities for the fur
ther development and study OF atomic energy
and it's products and their effects on human
beings animals and plants. The principal
activities in meeting these responsibilities
and Fastening the discovery and application
of useful substances and processes may be
listed as follows:
(a) The health protection of personnel
engaged in the preparation, transport, use
and research on the use of fashionable mate
rial and its products.
ID The study of the effects on human,
animal or plant tissues of atomic bombs
used in the war and in tests made SUBJ
| sequently.
lc) In view of the known sensitivity Of
| cells at the time of their division, the
| study of the effects of various types Of
| radiant energy on the processes involved
in heredity, and the study Of the effects
of radiant energy on abnormal cell repro
| duction. eg., cancer.
| Id The preparation of tagged atoms or
isotopes for the purpose of biochemical
studies not otherwise related to radiation
effects, and the study and use of isotopes
where these are directly related to the bio
logical or medical consequences of radi-
| alton.
| Perhaps the kernel of the situation lies
| in the fact that the greater mans knowledge
| of the laws of nature the more substances
he can create that have never actually been
| found in nature. We can thus not only
make completely unfamiliar substances but
| also release forces that in quality or in
| tensity are not to be found in the natural
| world. Virtually a second world for study
| and exploration comes thus into being as a
| result of profoundly understanding the laws
that govern the phenomena of the world
about us-the first world we studied and
explored. Nor is this the end of the posi-
bilities before US. There is almost an in
finity of possible applications of new sub
| stances and new forces Indeed the case
| for finding the uses of new substances for
| human needs, the harnessing of new forms
| of energy to serve human purposes, rests in
the phrase Of Protagoras the Sophist: Homo
mensura-"man is the measure of all
things" And what is to measure the needs
| and purposes of man?