Radioisotopes

Abstract

The Washington Declaration of November 1945 (see Appendix 4) had referred in idealistic, even unctuous, tones to the utilisation of atomic energy ‘for the benefit of mankind’ and ‘for peaceful and humanitarian ends’. But the succeeding seven years held more threats than promised benefits. By the end of 1952 reactors for nuclear power were making progress (see Chapter 19), but were closely involved with the bomb programme. In this mainly military period there was a happy exception — an enterprise which was peaceful, beneficial, humanitarian and almost untouched by the prevailing secrecy and international rivalry. This was the radioisotope programme which, though modest in scale,* was most rewarding.