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Politics, Chemistry, and the Discovery of Nuclear Fission

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Emilie Wiesner and Frank A. Settle Jr.

Department of Chemistry, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450

J. Chem. Educ., 2001, 78 (7), p 889

DOI: 10.1021/ed078p889

Publication Date (Web): July 1, 2001

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

The discovery of fission is an interesting scientific saga involving the fundamentals of chemistry and physics. It is played out in the late 1930s on a European stage. Lise Meitner and Otto Hahn head a cast of characters that include scientific notables Fritz Strassmann, Otto Frisch, James Chadwick, Enrico Fermi, Ida Noddack, Irene Curie, and Neils Bohr. The plot includes the scientific method, the interdependence of chemistry and physics, the influence of external politics, and human frailty. The events surrounding this discovery did not allow the scientists involved to receive equal recognition. Fortunately, the passage of time and extensive historical research are restoring equality.