J. J. Thomson goes to America

Joseph John (J. J.) Thomson was an accomplished scientist who helped lay the foundations of nuclear physics. A humble man of working class roots, Thomson went on to become one of the most influential physicists of the late 19th century. He is credited with the discovery of the electron, received a Nobel Prize in physics in 1906 for investigations into the conduction of electricity by gases, was knighted in 1908, and served as a Cavendish Professor and Director of the laboratory for over 35 years from 1884. His laboratory attracted some of the world’s brightest minds; Francis W. Aston, Niels H. D. Bohr, Hugh L. Callendar, Charles T. R. Wilson, Ernest Rutherford, George F. C. Searle, Geoffrey I. Taylor, and John S. E. Townsend all worked under him. This article recounts J. J. Thomson’s visits to North America in 1896, 1903, 1909, and finally 1923. It presents his activities and his personal impressions of the people and society of the U.S.A. and Canada, and the science of atomic physics and chemistry in the late 1800s and early 1900s.     

An extension of the adsorption relation of J. J. Thomson

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Donald J. Cram

Don Cram was definitely old school. Eccentric. Hard driven. Strong-willed. Spirited. Fearless. I was asked to provide personal reflections of Don Cram. I am sure these remembrances will bring back related memories to all who knew Don. But first, a brief background on DJC.     

Paul J. Flory

Paul J. Flory was a pioneer in the development of a quantitative understanding of polymer science and a leader in placing it among the major scientific disciplines. Through his energy, skill and genius, and by the judicious interplay of experiment and theory, he demonstrated that polymers are not the complicated, intractable systems they were thought to be earlier, but are treatable in a rigorous and straight-forward manner. From his first scientific paper on polymers in 1936 to his last contributions, published posthumously, in 1986, Paul Flory was involved in shaping a consistent view of polymer science. A unique ability, to perceive the dominant cause in a complex effect and to formulate the action of this most important element of a situation in a simple and straightforward model, made his contributions so helpful and relevant that still today his models are often chosen over later, more refined, more accurate ones – Flory's models and concepts are of penetrating insight and a simplicity that allows all polymer scientists to understand and use them. Flory was involved in a very broad range of topics: among other topics, he laid the foundation of the understanding of polymerization reactions, illuminated the thermodynamics and hydrodynamics of polymer solutions and through this the nature of the polymer-solvent interactions and the θ-state, formulated important models of rubber elasticity, and investigated with excellent success polymeric crystals and liquid crystals. A contribution of great importance was the development of the rotational isomeric state method to the treatment of macromolecules of arbitrary size and structure and for many properties. His achievement was recognized by numerous awards, honorary degrees, and the Nobel Prize in 1974. Paul J. Flory, born on June 19, 1910, died on September 8, 1985.