For the Sake of Science | Distillations | Science History Institute

“That work would earn him the 1944 Nobel Prize for Chemistry and a postwar platform he would use to oppose nuclear weapons. Like many scientific feats, the discovery of nuclear fission was made with the help of others, including colleagues and close friends, such as Lise Meitner. But after the war Hahn minimized the contributions made by Meitner. Why did he do it—for the pursuit of personal glory or some other reason?”

Read the Article | Distillations | Michal Meyer

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In 1938, Austrian-born physicist Lise Meitner (1878-1968) fled Germany and eventually became a Swedish citizen. After World War II, Meitner received many awards, including being named "Woman of the Year" at the National Press Club in 1946. She was a Visiting Professor of Physics at Catholic University during Spring 1946. In a press release associated with her arrival, Dr. Meitner emphasized that her goal was "wholly educational": "I have no intention to suggest how atomic energy should be controlled, beyond expressing my sincere hope that no occasion will again arise where it will be utilized in war. A lasting peace is more desirable than the creation of weapons which might lead to the extermination of mankind.”

Smithsonian Institution, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons