Libby, Willard F. (1908-1980)
American chemist
Chemist Willard F. Libby developed the radiocarbon dating technique used to determine the age of organic materials. With applications in numerous branches of science, including archaeology, geology, and geophysics, radiocarbon dating has been used to ascertain the ages of both ancient artifacts and geological events, such as the end of the Ice Age. In 1960, Libby received the Nobel Prize for his radiocarbon dating work. During World War II, Libby worked on the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb and was a member of the Atomic Energy Commission for several years in the 1950s. An outspoken scientist during the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union, Libby advocated that every home have a fallout shelter in case of nuclear war. Libby, however, was a strong proponent of the progress of science, which he believed resulted in more benefits than detriments for the human race.
Willard Frank Libby was born to Ora Edward and Eva May Libby on a farm in Grand Valley, Colorado. In 1913, the family, which included Libby and his two brothers and two sisters, moved to an apple ranch north of San Francisco, California, near Sebastopol, where Libby received his grammar school education.
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