On February 27, 1940, Martin Kamen discovered Carbon-14. This isotope of carbon is instrumental for accurately determining the age of various objects. This groundbreaking discovery has sparked a revolution in fields ranging from biochemistry to oceanography. However, this discovery almost ended before it began.
On the day of the breakthrough, its discoverer, scientist Martin Kamen, was mistakenly arrested by police, preventing him from witnessing the results of his experiment. A fascinating story accompanies this discovery.
According to a report from The Guardian, Martin Kamen worked tirelessly for three days and nights without sleep. He and his associate, Sam Ruben, subjected a piece of graphite to a barrage of subatomic particles, aiming to create new forms of carbon with practical applications.
Early in the morning of February 27, 1940, Kamen staggered out of his laboratory in Berkeley, California. Desperately needing rest, with disheveled hair, bloodshot eyes, and three days' worth of stubble, he looked absolutely exhausted.
Unfortunately, Berkeley police were on the search for a fugitive suspected of committing several recent murders. Upon seeing the disheveled scientist, they immediately detained him, suspecting him to be the felon, placing him in the back seat of their patrol car for questioning.
It was only after witnesses clarified that Kamen was not the man the police were after, that he was released. He was then allowed to return to the Radiation Laboratory at the University of California to examine the piece of graphite he and Ruben had been working on.
Upon returning to the lab, it did not take long for Kamen to realize that he had created a substance with extraordinary properties. By irradiating graphite, they had produced Carbon-14. Since then, it has revolutionized numerous scientific fields and continues to aid scientists in making significant discoveries.
