Part 2
In addition to altering plants directly by radiation, the botanist can improve plants indirectly by using radiation: he can add radioactivity to fertilizer and evaluate the efficiency of its uptake by the plant to determine the most effective fertilizer for a particular soil or crop. The many, and sometimes seemingly strange, effects of radioactivity on plants and growing conditions provide a wide and fascinating field for the botanist.
As most people know, radiation also affects animal tissue. The zoologist wants to know how and why this is true and how varying conditions alter animal reactions to radiation. The research of the animal physiologist is basic to later medical applications of radiation to human beings. The veterinary scientist has the grave responsibility of testing radioisotopes, radiation drugs, chemicals, surgical procedures, and various combinations of these in animals to determine which can be used to diagnose or cure disease in man. He passes his findings on to the physician for further research only after he has made every possible test and evaluation. Sometimes he works with chemists, nutritionists, bacteriologists, and other scientists. What happens to animals could happen to human beings, and that is why physiologists watch carefully the animals that eat radioactive foods and study the offspring of animals that have been exposed to radioactivity.
Geology
A main interest of the geologist is the history of the earth and its ever-changing life, especially as revealed in fossil formations and deposits under the soil.
The geologist has a vital place in the field of atomic energy since he helps provide the raw materials for nuclear processes. The atomic age has made radioactive materials essential to life, and the geologist must locate valuable deposits, determine their extent, analyze their purity, and plan their extraction.
Engineering
The engineer is the how-to-do-it man. This technical man of action comes in many varieties--mechanical, electrical, metallurgical, ceramic, industrial, civil, instrument, and chemical, to name a few.
In the field of nuclear energy, the mechanical engineer shoulders the responsibility for designing, supervising construction, and guiding the functions of the giant accelerators, nuclear reactors, atomic-propulsion plants, space-ship engines, and other mechanical equipment that must be constantly devised, improved, constructed, and redesigned.
The electrical engineer devises the intricate circuits that keep the vast equipment working smoothly, works out complex controls for instrumentations, eliminates malfunctions, and formulates electrical processes for new installations and devices.
Metallurgical and ceramic engineers test and evaluate the strength, durability, and other characteristics of materials to be used in the fabrication of equipment, and they produce new materials for specific jobs. For instance, a metallurgical engineer might produce a space-ship shell that meets the requirements of (1) minimum weight, (2) maximum shielding from radiation, and (3) high strength. He may analyze various materials for use in atomic reactors, nuclear submarines, or medical treatment rooms where radioactivity is used. The ceramic engineer tackles similar problems, working with ceramic products rather than metals.
The industrial engineer is concerned with the efficient use of machines, materials, and men in production.
The civil engineer takes the plans of the atomic plant and designs buildings and facilities for particular processes.
The instrument engineer examines a job to be done and then designs the instrumentation to do it. He must understand what happens when his instrumentation is integrated into an entire system of production and control. For instance, the engineer who develops an instrument to be used in a gaseous-diffusion plant for the separation of uranium isotopes must understand the entire process of uranium separation.
The chemical engineer works closely with the chemist. If the latter develops a new plastic, the engineer decides whether to put it into large-scale production and, if so, how.
Mathematics
The mathematician deals with numbers and their relations to one another. Progressing from the 2-plus-2 stage into higher mathematics, this science is essential to all the others--from the simple task of counting test tubes in a cabinet to an incredibly complex mathematical idea.
The mathematician speaks the language of all sciences using his special tool. Without him modern technology would not exist because mathematics interprets and explains all other sciences.
However, when mathematics becomes too complex, the mathematician puts aside his pencil and paper and turns to an electronic computer. Since computers can carry out mathematical calculations from 100 to 1,000,000 times as fast as a human being, they are necessary today and will be essential tomorrow.
A computer, however, doesn’t replace the mathematician any more than an adding machine replaces an accountant. The mathematician must help to design the computer, understand what material to store in its memory banks, know how to feed problems into it, and be able to read the results that come out.
Medicine
The medical profession is dedicated to repairing and healing the human body. Although many mysteries still surround medicine, doctors are trying to solve these mysteries of the body through research.
A medical scientist may decide to specialize exclusively in the use of radioactive materials. If so, he is called a radiologist and is an expert in the use of radiation beams, injection of radioisotopes, and implantation of radioactivity into the body, as well as in the use of the more familiar radium and X-ray devices.
The practicing physician also, after receiving special training and licensing, may use radiation and radioisotopes as another tool in his little black bag. For instance, a suspected thyroid disorder can be diagnosed by following the behavior of a small, harmless dose of radioactive iodine in the patient. A tumor may be brought under control with the use of a strong beam of radiation directed at the diseased tissue.
Behind the physician stand teams of medical research scientists testing the effects of radiation on tissues and cultures and serums in the laboratory. They strive to increase knowledge of the medical benefits of atomic energy.
Nurses in nuclear medicine understand how to handle radioactivity. Pharmacists who enter the field prepare radioactive pharmaceuticals for clinical uses.
Related Fields
It is convenient to discuss scientific activity in the general categories of physics, chemistry, biology, geology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine, but strict lines are not actually drawn around these areas.
There are in the United States today about 2000 individuals who are engaged in a profession that did not even exist twenty years ago: these are the health physicists, who are neither medical men nor physicists. They have backgrounds in physics, true, and they combine this training with training in physiology, botany, chemistry, mathematics, and instrumentation.
It is the duty of the health physicist to evaluate and control any potential hazard in the use of nuclear energy. The health physicist understands the effects of radiation on human tissues and plants. He keeps a constant check on radiation levels in installations where radioactivity is used; he foresees emergencies that might arise; he eliminates unsafe practices; and he assures that personnel working in nuclear energy fields are free from related hazards. The health physicist is a key figure in making the nuclear energy industry one of the safest in the world.
Another profession that spans the sciences is that of the technical writer or editor. In a laboratory he translates the notebooks of the scientist into reports. In an editorial office he edits manuscripts for publication. On a newspaper staff he translates scientific findings into articles for the public.
It is difficult, undesirable, and usually impossible, for a scientist to confine himself to his own field because all sciences affect one another. A chemist may use the tools of the physicist and become a physical chemist; a physicist may go in the other direction and become a chemical physicist. It is not uncommon for a chemical engineer to find himself doing the work of an instrument engineer, or the mechanical engineer to find himself doing the work of an electrical engineer, or both of them doing the work of a nuclear engineer.
The physicist, the chemist, the physician, and the engineer who once thought that outer space was the exclusive domain of the astronomer now find themselves solving reentry problems for missiles, stirring up rocket fuels, testing the effect of weightlessness on the body, and examining diagrams for space craft. Perhaps the botanist who today is totally concerned with the flora of earth will tomorrow find himself fingering a bit of fungus from Mars.
Location of the Atomic Scientist
In the rapidly changing world, each year finds the scientist increasingly important. He is needed to maintain and improve fast-changing technology, to combat disease, to develop natural and man-made resources, to improve food sources and production, and, in general, to work for the betterment of mankind.
The graduate scientist and the engineer will find jobs waiting and will be able to choose, to some extent, the sort of work they wish to do and where they wish to do it.
It is impossible to list all types of organizations open to science graduates, but it is relatively simple to divide them into general groups.
The United States Government
Scientists are needed in federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Bureau of Standards, the Atomic Energy Commission, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Public Health Service, the National Institutes of Health, and the Departments of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. Positions in these and other federal organizations are open in program administration, basic research, development, and applied research. Numerous positions exist at AEC laboratories that operate under contract--Ames, Argonne, Berkeley, Bettis, Brookhaven, Hanford, Knolls, Livermore, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Sandia, and Savannah River, as well as at the Health and Safety Laboratory in New York City.
Private Industry
Unlimited opportunities are found in private industry. Most industries have extensive research and development programs, as well as production activities. In addition to the industries that are engaged primarily in the design and fabrication of nuclear and electronic equipment, hundreds of industries use radioisotopes and radiation in tracing, testing, development, inspection, and quality control.
Opportunities are open to the scientist who wishes to work for himself. He may organize his own company to provide self-employment or he may serve as a private consultant.
Educational Organizations
With the growing demand for scientists comes an increasing need for science teachers--good science teachers--from the elementary through the university graduate-school level. The scientist who enters the teaching profession need not feel that he turns his back on a research career. Thousands of significant investigations and discoveries are made at colleges and universities where science faculty members combine teaching with research.
Although the basic salary scale for the science teacher is not normally as high as that of the industrial scientist, this situation is improving. Moreover, many college faculty members augment their salaries and keep in touch with new developments by acting as part-time consultants to industry and government. A scientific teaching career offers certain advantages: frequently the professor enjoys greater freedom than the industrial scientist in budgeting time and channeling interests, and teachers also experience the satisfaction of developing human minds.
Hospitals
Hospitals and medical research institutions must have highly competent scientific staffs. Besides physicians they need chemists, biochemists, biologists, bacteriologists, and often physicists and veterinarians.
State and Local Governments
Scientists hold important posts in state and local government ranging from the director of a state health department to the chemist in a police laboratory to the radiation safety advisor on a civil-defense commission. As the states assume more and more responsibility for licensing and regulating nuclear and other scientific development, the need for state-employed scientific staff members will grow.
Other Organizations
Scientists are needed also in private research foundations, pharmaceutical and drug houses, international organizations, museums, observatories, weather stations, and thousands of other installations.
Professional Satisfaction
Members of the scientific community are generally happy in their work. A scientist may experience temporary discontent with a particular job, or budget restriction, or management practice, or coworkers, but seldom does he regret being a scientist. He is much more likely to regret that he didn’t study even more science.
Moreover, scientific salaries generally range from above average to excellent, opportunities for advancement are good, and the profession usually enjoys high community respect.
Atomic energy is revolutionizing life today, and future scientific revolutions are beyond imagination. But an atom does not have a brain; it must be manipulated by people. The men and women who explore the world of the atom invariably find that they are exploring a world more exciting than the world in the dreams of Marco Polo or Columbus.
_SELECTED READING LIST_
FINANCIAL AID
_American Foundations and Their Fields._ By Wilmer Shields Rich. 7th edition, 1955, 744 pages. American Foundations Information Service, 527 Madison Avenue, New York 3, New York. $35.00.
_Blue Book of Awards._ Edited by Herbert Brook. 1956, 186 pages. Marquis--Who’s Who, 210 East Ohio Street, Chicago 11, Illinois. $8.00.
_College Program in Nuclear Engineering._ 1956, 106 pages, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 25 West 45 Street, New York 36, New York.
_Credit for College; Student Loan Funds in the United Stales._ By W. W. Hill. 1959, 37 pages. The College Life Insurance Company of America, Indianapolis, Indiana.
_Education Programs and Facilities in Nuclear Science and Engineering._ 1960, 76 pages. Fellowship Office, Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Free.
_Financial Aid for College Students: Undergraduate._ By Theresa Birch Wilkins. 1957, 232 pages. United States Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. $1.00.
_How to Finance a College Education._ 1960, 10 pages. Funds for Education Inc., 319 Lincoln Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.
_How to Look for Scholarships._ By J. L. Angel. 2nd edition. 1960, 26 pages. World Trade Academy Press, 50 East 42nd Street, New York 17, New York. $1.25.
_Information on Science Scholarships and Student Loans._ National Science Foundation. 1960, 9 pages. United States Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. $0.15.
_Lovejoy-Jones College Scholarship Guide._ By Clarence E. Lovejoy and Theodore S. Jones. 1957, 123 pages. Simon and Schuster, Inc., 630 Fifth Avenue, New York 20, New York. $1.95 (paperback).
_National Register of Scholarships and Fellowships._ By Juvenal L. Angel. Volume I: Scholarships and Loans, 329 pages. Volume II: Fellowships and Grants, 232 pages. World Trade Academy Press, 50 East 42nd Street, New York 17, New York.
_National Science Foundation Annual Report._ Published annually. United States Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. $1.00.
_Need Financial Aid for College?_ 5 pages. Engineers Council for Professional Development, 29 West 59th Street, New York 18, New York. $0.03.
_Need a Lift._ 80 pages. American Legion, P. O. Box 1055, Indianapolis 6, Indiana. $0.15.
_Scholarships and Fellowships Available at Institutions of Higher Education._ By Theresa Birch Wilkins. 1951, 248 pages. United States Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. $0.70.
_You Can Win a Scholarship._ 1958, 429 pages. By S. C. Brownstein, M. Weiner, and S. H. Kaplan. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., 343 Great Neck Road, Great Neck, New York. $2.98.
SCIENTIFIC AREAS
_Agricultural Research Workers._ 1961, 7 pages. Careers, Box 522, Largo, Florida. $0.25.
_Astronomer._ By Gibson Reaves (Chronicle Occupational Briefs 210). 1961, 4 pages. Chronicle Guidance Publications, Moravia, New York. $0.35.
_Biochemist._ 1960, 8 pages. Careers, Box 522, Largo, Florida. $0.25.
_Biological Scientists._ Revised edition, 1959, 4 pages. Science Research Associates, 259 East Erie Street, Chicago 11, Illinois. $0.45.
_Can I be a Scientist or Engineer? (Let’s Find Out)._ Revised edition, 1960, 24 pages. General Motors Corporation Public Relations Staff, 3044 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit 2, Michigan. Single copy free.
_Careers and Opportunities in Chemistry._ By Philip Pollack. 1960, 147 pages. E. P. Dutton and Company, Inc., 300 Park Avenue South, New York 10, New York. $3.50.
_Careers for Chemical Engineers._ By Juvenal L. Angel. 1960, 30 pages. World Trade Academy Press, 50 East 42nd Street, New York 17. New York. $1.25.
_Careers for the Physicist._ 1957, 36 pages. Careers Incorporated, 15 West 45th Street, New York 36, New York, $1.00.
_Careers for Women in the Physical Sciences._ 1959, 77 pages. United States Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. $0.35.
_Careers in Animal Biology._ By H. L. Hamilton. 16 pages. American Society of Zoologists, Dr. G. B. Moment, Secretary, Goucher College, Baltimore 4, Maryland. $0.25.
_Careers in Atomic Energy._ By Walter J. Greenleaf (United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Pamphlet No. 119). 1957, 36 pages. United States Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. $0.25.
_Careers in Biochemistry._ By Juvenal L. Angel. 1958, 26 pages. World Trade Academy Press, 50 East 42nd Street, New York 17, New York. $1.25.
_Careers in Fishery Science._ (Chronicle Occupational Briefs 190). 1960, 4 pages. Chronicle Guidance Publications, Moravia, New York. $0.35.
_Careers in Mathematics._ 1961, 28 pages. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1201 16th Street, Washington 6. D. C. $0.25.
_Careers in Medicine._ 2nd edition, 1960, 26 pages. By Juvenal L. Angel. World Trade Academy Press, 50 East 42nd Street, New York 17, New York. $1.25.
_Careers in Science Teaching._ 1959, 17 pages. National Science Teachers Association, 1201 16th Street, N.W., Washington 6, D. C. Single copy free; quantity orders $0.10 each.
_Careers in the Atomic Energy Industry._ By Harold L. Walker. 1958, 32 pages. Bellman Publishing Company, Cambridge 38, Massachusetts. $1.00.
_Careers in the Nuclear Field._ By Juvenal L. Angel. 1958, 26 pages. World Trade Academy Press, Inc., 50 East 42nd Street, New York 17, New York. $1.25.
_Careers in the Scientific Fields._ By Juvenal L. Angel. 1959, 46 pages. World Trade Academy Press, 50 East 42nd Street, New York 17, New York. $1.25.
_College Bound: Planning For College And Careers._ By S. C. Brownstein. 1958, 226 pages. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., 343 Great Neck Road, Great Neck, New York. $1.98.
_The Cost of Four Years of College._ 1959, 19 pages. Career Information Service, New York Life Insurance Company, Box 51, Madison Square Station, New York 10, New York. $0.25.
_Guide to Career Information._ By Career Information Service, New York Life Insurance Company. 1957, 203 pages. Harper and Brothers, 49 East 33rd Street, New York 16, New York. $3.00.
_Health Physicist._ 1959, 8 pages. Careers, Box 522, Largo, Florida. $0.25.
_Health Physicist._ (Chronicle Occupational Briefs 185). 1959, 4 pages. Chronicle Guidance Publications, Moravia, New York. $0.35.
_How To Be Accepted By The College Of Your Choice._ By B. Fine. 1960, 291 pages. Channel Press, Inc., 159 Northern Boulevard, Great Neck, New York. $2.95.
_Nuclear Scientists._ (Chronicle Occupational Briefs No. 203). 1960, 4 pages. Science Research Associates, 259 East Erie Street, Chicago 11, Illinois. $0.45.
_Oceanographer._ (Chronicle Occupational Briefs 200). 1960, 4 pages. Chronicle Guidance Publications, Moravia, New York. $0.35.
_Science Futures for Girls._ 1959, 7 pages. United States Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C.
_Should You Be an Atomic Scientist?_ By Lawrence R. Hafstad. 1957, 10 pages. New York Life Insurance Company, 51 Madison Avenue, New York 10, New York. Free.
_Should You Be a Chemist?_ By Dr. Irving Langmuir. 1957, 6 pages. New York Life Insurance Company, 51 Madison Avenue, New York 10, New York. Free.
_Sources of Information on Careers in the Scientific Fields._ 1959, 11 pages. Manufacturing Chemists’ Association, Inc., 1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington 8, D. C. 1-6 copies free; additional copies $0.05 each.
_Veterinarians._ 1961, 4 pages. Science Research Associates, 259 East Erie Street, Chicago 11, Illinois. $0.45.
_You and Your Career._ 1960, 30 pages. Collier’s Encyclopedia, 640 Fifth Avenue, New York 19, New York. $0.50.
_Your Future in Nuclear Energy Fields._ By William E. Thompson, Jr. 1961, 160 pages. Richards Rosen Press, 13 East 22nd Street, New York 10, New York.
This booklet is one of the “Understanding the Atom” Series. Comments are invited on this booklet and others in the series; please send them to the Division of Technical Information, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D. C. 20545.
Published as part of the AEC’s educational assistance program, the series includes these titles: