So many accomplishments:
- 1926-33 worked with Albert Einstein, his former teacher, to develop and patent a refrigerator without moving parts. But refrigerators with freon gas as refrigerant dominated the market. Later, it was discovered that freon makes holes in the ozone layer protecting us from ultra-violet radiation, so had to be replaced. If the Szilard-Einstein had dominated the market, the damage to the ozone layer would never have occurred.
- In 1929, Szilard filed a German patent application on the cyclotron, for discovering elmentary particles -- a device now credited to Ernest O. Lawrence, accruing for him the 1939 Nobel in Physics.
- Also in 1929, Szilard published a paper on information theory (including the unit of the bit: binary digit), later credited to Claude Shannon.
- In 1930, tried to organize an international movement against Facism.
- In 1931, filed German patent application on the electron microscope, later credited to x. Zworykin.
- In 1932, tried to organize an international boycott against Japan to protest Japanese agression in China.
- In 1933, escaped Nazi persecution in Germany, to Britain; organized aided for fellow refugees and activated formation of the Academic Assistance Council.
- 1934, filed first British patent application on the neutron chain reaction. Experimented at London's St. Bartholomew's Hospital to find a chain-reacting element. Invented the Szilard-Chalmers reaction, for concentrating artificially produced radioactive isotopes.
- 1936, for secrecy from Fascists, assigned chain-reaction patent to British Admiralty. Tried to convince Niels Bohr, Enrico Fermi, and others of feasibility of atomic energy, but dangerous to control.
- 1937, along with James Tuck, designed a betatron.
- 1939, on learning about nuclear fission in Europe, predicted that uranium might sustain a chain reaction. Experimented at Columbia University, with Walter Zinn, to demonstrate emission of neutrons during fission. Tried to kept secret results of fission experiments because of danger of a German atomic bomb. Collaborated with Enrico Fermi on experiment testing uranium-water system. Outlined uranium-carbon lattice design for nuclear reactor. Tried to to convince Fermi of probability of chain reaction, and to continue experiments.
- Later in 1939, after warning about German research, persuaded Albert Einstein to write a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt urging the initiation of American nuclear reseach, resulting in Manhattan Project.
- 1942, at University of Chicago, Szilard and Enrico Fermi demonstrated the first nuclear chain reaction, resulting in the work that led to "the atomic bomb".
- In 1943, Szilard was forced to sell his nuclear energy patents rights to the U. S. Government.
- 1944, worked with Fermi on a breeder reactor able to generate more fuel than it consumed; Szilard proposed this name.
- In 1945, Szilard circulated petition among Manhattan Project scientists opposing use of bomb on moral grounds. After end of war, organized successful opposition to May-Johnson bill, to place atomic energy under military control. Testified before U.S. Senate committee about atomic energy.
- 1946, founded, with Albert Einstein and others, the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists. Became Professor of Biophysics at the Institute of Radiobiology and Biophysics, University of Chicago.
- In 1947, Szilard became so disturbed by the work on bombs that he left physics for biology, a model later followed by many young scientists who had also "worked on the bomb". The technical ability of these young scientists eventually led to "the double helix" and DNA research.
- In 1959, published theory of aging. Szilard was diagnosed with bladder cancer; rejected standard treatment, designed his own radiation therapy. In 1961, declared to be cured of cancer.
- In 1963, became Non-Resident Fellow of Salk Institute, La Jolla, California.
- 1964, became a Resident Fellow of the Salk Institute. Completed paper on molecular basis of memory, "On Memory and Recall". Died in his sleep of a heart attack in La Jolla, California on May 30 at the age of 66.
More information at www.dannen.com/szilard.html