Otto Hahn

Otto Hahn was a German chemist who was a pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and radiochemistry. He is referred to as the father of nuclear chemistry and the godfather of nuclear fission. He discovered many radioactive elements and isotopes, such as radiothorium, radioactinium, mesothorium, ionium, protactinium, and uranium Z. He also developed methods for separating and measuring radioactive substances, such as the emanation method and the strontium method. He collaborated with Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann for many years, and together they discovered the phenomenon of nuclear fission in 1938, when they bombarded uranium with neutrons and obtained barium as a product. This discovery was later confirmed by Meitner and her nephew Otto Frisch, who explained it theoretically. Nuclear fission became the basis for the development of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy, although Hahn himself was not involved in these applications. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944 for his discovery of nuclear fission. He was also the founder and president of the Max Planck Society, an esteemed non-profit scientific foundation, and the last president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, its predecessor organization. He was a vocal critic of nuclear weapons and advocated for their abolition. He died in 1968 from an accidental fall at the age of 89. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential chemists of all time and a model scientist with an outstanding history of academic achievement, excellent working methods, and a strong record of personal integrity.