NUCLEAR SCIENCE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29616, 12 September 1961, Page 19

NUCLEAR SCIENCE

Double Legacy Of Rutherford

(N.Z.P A. -Reuter— Copyright/ MANCHESTER, Sept. 10. Four hundred scientists from various parts of the world who attended the closing session of the Rutherford jubilee international conference at Manchester were reminded that it was their duty to think about the problems now facing the world as a result of Lord Rutherford’s success in splitting the atom at Manchester 50 years ago. Professor David R. Xnglis. who is engaged on work at the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago and was chosen to submit a halfhour summary of the fiveday conference, said at a press conference that although they had been concerned only with matters of current and historical i academic interest, he felt he should remind the delegates of their obligations. Professor Inglis said tha‘ Lord Rutherford had started them on a path which could either lead to the end of the world or be the salvation of the world. “I am interested in the use iof atomic power and spend ■a good deal of time at home i thinking about how we can !avoid an atomic calamity. "We nuclear physicists have some responsibility to think about that and on how we can make suggestions to our governments, even if oer voices are humble.” The younger generation of nuclear physicists in all countries, he thought, had phenomenal analytical ability, and there were those whose intuition was superb. They were Jn the same galaxy as Lord Rutherford Professor Irglis said that the nuclear »ge had dissipated the idea of war looking attractive-to a potential aggressor. But against that there was the danger of unlimited development of the level of armaments.