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Several years ago, I had the privilege of meeting, and spending the day with Alberto Ghiorso (July 15, 1915 – December 26, 2010). A renowned nuclear scientist, from the University of California, Berkeley. I joined him on the Berkeley campus, and he was very proud to show me around his laboratory. On his office wall hung his certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the most elements on the periodic table: 12 chemical elements for which he had discovered or co-discovered.
Alberto had read “Bischero in Florence” prior to my arrival. He was very supportive of my work, and he shared his thoughts on alchemy. He explained to me how his colleagues had changed lead into gold by bombarding it with a tremendous amount of atomic particles, but it was costly, and only a small amount could be made. In short, it wasn’t worth the effort. At 91yrs. old he was mentally sharp, and feisty over world events. In his newly acquired Toyota Prius, he drove us to his home where he cooked lunch. I will always be grateful to him for his kindness, and sharing his knowledge with me. We lost a treasure.
Several years ago, I had the privilege of meeting, and spending the day with Alberto Ghiorso (July 15, 1915 – December 26, 2010). A renowned nuclear scientist, from the University of California, Berkeley. I joined him on the Berkeley campus, and he was very proud to show me around his laboratory. On his office wall hung his certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the most elements on the periodic table: 12 chemical elements for which he had discovered or co-discovered.