THE NOBEL PRIZES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26619, 15 November 1947, Page 7

THE NOBEL PRIZES

AWARDS TO SCIENTISTS Rec, 8 p.m. STOCKHOLM, Nov. 14. The Swedish Academy has announced that Sir Edward Appleton (Great Britain) discoverer of the lonosphere, was awarded the Nobel prize for physics, and Sir Robert Robinson (Great Britain),- for chemistry for research on the biological importance of alkaloids from vegetables. Sir Edward Appleton, who was knighted in 1941, has been secretary of the British Department of Scientific and Industrial Research since 1939. He is also chairman of the British National Committee for Radio-Tele-graphy. His great work has been in ihe study of electricity and the scientific problems of wireless telegraphy. In 1925, with Mr A. F. Barnett, he made the first direct measurements of the lonosphere, the electrically-con-ducting sphere surrounding the earth. It exists in the earth's outer atmosphere, beyond the stratosphere, and extends from heights of approximately 40 to 400 miles. It was formerly better known as the “ Kenelly-lieaviside ’’ layer. Sir Robert Robinson was born in 1886. He has been Professor of Chemistry at Oxford since 1930 and was knighted in 1939. He is a member of many scientific organisations and has contributed numerous papers cm chemistry, particularly on the highly involved subject of alkaloids which are defined as “ relatively complex, basic substances, occurring naturally and exhibiting physiological actmn,” as for example quinine in malaria, morphia with the relief of pain, atrophine with the work of the occulist. To the chemist they supply fascinating problems for the exercise of technique and imagination. Sir Robert Robinson in 1923 made a study of one of the opium groups of alkaloids which is still the subject of discussion.