ATOMIC ENERGY IN 
already have been obtained. In a similar 
connection, studies even prior to the war on 
the effects of radiation on some of the constit- 
uents of natural gas indicate that they may 
be converted, via the medium of radiation 
chemistry, into industrially important prod- 
ucts. Their present uses (for example, in 
the production of carbon black or for fuel) 
are economically unsound. Related to such 
processes in a certain sense is the low-tem- 
perature cracking of oils, which should be 
intensively studied. Radiation chemistry 
here presents the opportunity of a new tech- 
nique which may produce new and very 
interesting products. 
A host of rare but medically important 
drugs, until now synthesized only by plants 
but not in vitro (in the test tube) probably 
will be by-products of the utilization of radia- 
tion chemical processes. Very interesting 
preliminary photochemical effects on viruses 
have been reported; viruses may be made to 
lose their virulence while still retaining their 
ability to produce antibodies. Progress in 
this important field is limited by the lack of 
penetration and the specificity of the rays 
which must be used; radiation chemistry 
should promote such work at an accelerated 
pace. ‘The chemical aspect of the large field 
of biologicals is a portion of the field of 
radiation chemistry which we are now just 
beginning to tap. Some notion of the vistas 
which lie before us, when we begin to under- 
stand primary effects a little better, is indi- 
cated by the suggestions of the medical use 
of specifically absorbed radioactive dyes and 
of the possible large scale production of 
vaccines. 
In the fields of inorganic chemistry and 
physics the production of new phosphors and 
of inorganic polymers should be studied. 
Possible hardening of metals by radiation 
and a host of new enterprises made possible 
by the interesting process of dislocation of 
atoms in solids may become important. 
In this field, chemists point out that 
often, when a reaction is discovered by 
the use of radiation, continued investi- 
gation leads to thermal or catalytic 
means to make the reaction ‘“‘go.” In 
general the latter are much cheaper 
for production. Such progress does 
not, however, minimize the signifi- 
cance of an original discovery using 
radiation to produce the reaction. 
In the field of such ultracomplex 
molecules as antibiotics such as peni- 
cillin and streptomycin new and im- 
proved strains often are cultivated 
from mutations. Radiation may be a 
tool which can produce a variety and 
extent of mutations in such molecules 
187 
INDUSTRY—WINNE 
of many times the diversity and rate at 
which they occur in normal evolution. 
Chemists may learn much about the 
stability of chemical bonds by breaking 
them with alpha, beta, gamma, or 
neutron radiations. While such radi- 
ations have been known for many 
years, they have been available only 
in the form of a few rare natural 
radioactive materials or in connection 
with the limited output of ‘“‘atom- 
smashing” accelerators. The vast 
spectrum of radiation intensities now 
beginning to become available makes 
widespread research in these fields 
possible. 
Future Possibilities 
A great many of the statements in 
this article of necessity are hedged 
with “‘if,” “but,” “‘possibly,” or “‘prob- 
ably.” This fact merely emphasizes 
the newness of the field under consider- 
ation and the tremendous possibilities 
ahead. 
Atomic energy is not producing 
commercially useful power as yet, 
although such production is tech- 
nically possible. It is probable that 
one or more experimental or demon- 
stration plants will be in operation 
within the next 2 to 4 years. 
Such production appears economi- 
cally feasible, at least for many special 
applications. However, the develop- 
ment of economically competitive 
atomic power promises to be a long- 
term project, possibly requiring dec- 
ades. And its advent will be gradual. 
It is the author’s belief that atomic 
power will supplement, but not sup- 
plant, present power sources. 
What may be termed the by- 
products of atomic energy—radio- 
active isotopes, radiation chemistry 
and metallurgy, fission products— 
well may prove of more importance to 
society than atomic power itself, and 
many of their benefits probably will 
be realized more quickly. 
It is quite evident that in order to 
reap all the potential benefits, a tre- 
mendous amount of research and 
