DISCOVERY OF RADIOACTIVITY:
     FEBRUARY OF 1996 MARKS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF
RADIOACTIVITY. RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS GIVE OFF PARTICLES, OR RADIATION, OF
THEIR OWN ACCORD AND THE  IMPACT OF THEIR DISCOVERY HAS BEEN BOTH GOOD
AND BAD--OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS RADIOACTIVITY HAS GIVEN US A TOOL TO FIGHT
CANCER AND TO PRODUCE ENERGY, ON THE OTHER HAND IT GAVE BIRTH TO
RADIATION POISONING AND THE AWESOME DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF THE NUCLEAR
BOMB. ONE THING'S FOR SURE, THOUGH, THE DISCOVERY OF RADIOACTIVITY SPARKED
A REVOLUTION IN SCIENCE, SAYS SCIENCE HISTORIAN LAWRENCE BADASH AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IN SANTA BARBARA.
     BADASH: "Radioactivity turned out to be part of what I like to call the second scientific
revolution. . . the discovery of x-rays, radioactivity, the electron, . . . these new discoveries became the
major focus of what physicists did in the 20th century." 
     RADIOACTIVITY WAS DISCOVERED BY HENRI BEQUEREL, WHO WAS ACTUALLY
LOOKING FOR THE SOURCE OF X-RAYS, BY WRAPPING MINERALS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC
PAPER. THE IDEA WAS TO  SET THEM IN THE SUNLIGHT TO ABSORB ENERGY. THEN THE
ENERGIZED MINERALS WOULD GIVE OFF X-RAYS THAT WOULD BE RECORDED AS A
PHOTOGRAPH. MUCH TO BEQUEREL'S SURPRISE HE GOT SUCCESSFUL PHOTOS EVEN
AFTER HE LEFT THE MINERALS IN A CLOSED DRAWER FOR SEVERAL
DAYS--SUGGESTING THE MINERAL WAS GIVING OFF RADIATION ALL BY ITSELF,
WITHOUT HELP FROM THE SUN.  PEOPLE HAVE OFTEN WONDERED WHY BEQUERRELL
EVEN BOTHERED TO CHECK THE MINERALS THAT HADN'T BEEN EXPOSED TO THE
SUNLIGHT.
     BADASH: "My own interpretation was that he wanted to have something to say at the monday
meeting at the academy. . . he made a mistake and his ego was involved. . .  I lke to conclude of this that
mistakes and pride were sometimes rewarded."
     WHATEVER THE REASON, BEQUEREL WAS A SMART ENOUGH SCIENTIST TO
REALIZE HE WAS SEEING SOMETHING NEW--RADIOACTIVITY.