| Philip Abelson |
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Philip Abelson was born in 1913 in Tacoma, Washington . As a young physicist, he collaborated with Nobel Prize winner Luis Alvarez in early nuclear research, and was the co-discoverer of the element Neptunium . He was a key contributor to the Manhattan Project during World War II . Although not formally associated with the Atom Bomb project, his invention of the Liquid Thermal Diffusion Isotope Separation technique proved a critical step in creating sufficient fuel for the Weapon . After the war, he turned his attention to applying Nuclear Power to Naval Propulsion . He wrote the first report detailing how a Nuclear Reactor could be installed in a Submarine , providing both Propulsion and Electrical Power . His report anticipated the nuclear submarine's role as a Missile Platform . His design was adopted as the basis for the USS Nautilus , the world's first nuclear submarine. Dr. Abelson is known as the "Father Of The Nuclear Submarine" . From 1951 until 1971 he served as the director of the Carnegie Institution Of Washington 's Geophysical Laboratory, and served as president of the Institution from 1971 to 1978 . From 1962 to 1984 he was editor of Science magazine, published by the American Association For The Advancement Of Science (AAAS), and served as its acting Executive Officer in 1974 , 1975 and 1984 . From 1972 until 1974 he served as President of the American Geophysical Union ( AGU ). After 1984, he remained associated with the magazine. Some have claimed him to be an early in the foreword for a US National Research Council, Energy and Environment report he wrote: ''What should the atmospheric carbon dioxide content be over the next century or two to achieve an optimum global climate?'' {Link without Title} , implying a level of connection between CO2 and climate that would put him outside today's skeptic camp. Dr. Abelson received many distinguished awards, including The President's National Medal Of Science , the National Science Foundation 's Distinguished Achievement Award, the American Medical Association 's Science Achievement Award, the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal and the Waldo E. Smith Medal in 1988 . In 1992 he was awarded the Public Welfare Medal , the National Academy Of Science 's highest honor. Dr. Abelson's wife Neva Abelson ( 1910 - 2000 ) was a distinguished research physician who played a key role in developing the life-saving Rh blood factor test. Their daughter, Dr. Ellen Abelson Cherniavsky, now retired, worked as an aviation researcher at The MITRE Corporation in Virginia . Philip Abelson died on August 1 , 2004 from respiratory complications following a brief illness. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINK
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