My Life

Hi! My name is Ernest Rutherford-the father of nuclear physics. I can not tell you how passionate I am about physics-particularly chemistry! My early work involved the concept of radioactivity-the transmutation of both alpha and beta radiation. I was so happy to receive a Nobel Prize in chemistry from my research! However, my most prominent work was done in the United Kingdom; I discovered that atoms have a positive charge centered in the nucleus, hence, the Rutherford model. So splendid it is to have a model named by a prominent chemist such as myself! Before I continue, I must tell you a little background of who I am, where I am from, and how I got to where I am now. I, Ernest Rutherford, am the son of James Rutherford, and son of mother, Martha Thompson. I emigrated from Scotland to New Zealand and was raised at Brightwater, New Zealand. It is quite depressing how my first name was misspelled at the birth register. It printed "Earnest" instead of "Ernest", although I do believe myself to be earnest and sincere with my scientific work. As for my education, I studied at Havelok School and soon won a scholarship to attend a college where I firmly gained my reputation as a leader-I was president of the debating society! During my first year at Canterbury College, I took many subjects that I found quite interesting:Latin, French, Mathematics, etc. However, my experience at Canterbury College is also the mark of the beginning of a new rivalry. I constantly competed with Willie Marris in the field of mathematics and although I was surpassed by my nemesis, Marris soon acknowledged me as the greater and better mathematician. I could not but accept his most naive compliment. I certainly agree on that part. From graduating from Canterbury College, I received a bachelor degree of arts and soon after, my master's degree and bachelor of science degree. After two years of intense research on the field of electrical technology, I traveled to England to pursue a record, not yet known before. At the University of Cambridge, I set the record for detecting electromagnetic waves! From that experience, I felt even more accomplished as a New Zealand-born chemist and physicist. For my accomplishments, I was appointed to succeed in the chair of MacDonald Professor of Physics at McGill University. For my most brilliant performance and work, I received the greatest prize of all-the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. How happy I was to receive this award and from that point on, I committed myself to penetrate and unlock the deep secrets of our natural world. As chair of Physics at the University of Manchester, I created a legacy that would be revealed both in the scientific community and around the world-the element named after me, rutherfordium in the periodic table of elements. I can assure you that I lived my life with much honor and dignity. I am sorry, this is all I can write with the time that I have, but I promise that I will continue with my other posts promptly.
Les meilleurs,
Ernest Rutherford



http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/images/2008/09/10/ernest_rutherford_203x152.jpg
http://www.rutherfordjournal.org/article010112.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford