Leó Szilárd, Hungarian-american is a photograph by Science Source which was uploaded on August 3rd, 2015.
Leó Szilárd, Hungarian-american
Leó Szilárd (February 11, 1898 - May 30, 1964) was a Hungarian-American physicist and inventor. In 1933, he conceived of the idea of nuclear chain... more
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Leó Szilárd, Hungarian-american
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Science Source
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Leó Szilárd (February 11, 1898 - May 30, 1964) was a Hungarian-American physicist and inventor. In 1933, he conceived of the idea of nuclear chain reaction, using recently discovered neutrons. He theorized that if neutrons could initiate any sort of energy-producing nuclear reaction, such as the one that had occurred in lithium, and could be produced themselves by the same reaction, energy might be obtained with little input, since the reaction would be self-sustaining. The following year he filed for a patent on the concept of the neutron-induced nuclear chain reaction. He patented the idea of a nuclear reactor with Enrico Fermi, and in late 1939 wrote the letter for Albert Einstein's signature that resulted in the Manhattan Project that built the atomic bomb. He had an enduring passion for the preservation of human life and political freedom. He hoped that the U.S. government would not use nuclear weapons, but that the mere threat of such weapons would force Germany and Japan to surrender. He also worried about the long term implications of the usage of nuclear weapons, predicting that their usage by the United States would start a nuclear arms race with Russia. He drafted the Szilárd petition advocating demonstration of the atomic bomb. The Interim Committee instead chose to use atomic bombs against cities over the protests of Szilárd and other scientists. In 1947, he shifted his field of study from nuclear physics to biophysics and molecular biology, working extensively with Aaron Novick. The change is widely credited as Szilárd's zero interest to support the development of stronger nuclear weapons. In 1960, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. In 1964, he died in his sleep of a heart attack at the age of 66.
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August 3rd, 2015
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