Niels Bohr: A Straight Up Hero Daniela Hernandez Intro: Niels Bohr was a hero because his discoveries were a foothold for science in the 20th century. Although his involvement in the advancement of nuclear warfare brought on devastating results, his lifelong fight for peace still impacts us today. First Body: Niels Bohr was an influential scientist, most people can agree with this. He even received a Nobel Prize in 1922 in Physics “ for his service in the investigation of the structure of atoms and of the radiation emanating from them.” One of his most well known is his Bohr model, which shows an atom 's structure, is used in all classrooms that teach chemistry. He also suggested that an electron would drop from a higher orbit to a lower one, which would release a photon(electron configuration). This would later become a foundation upon which quantum theory stood on. Niels Bohr has always been accepted into the …show more content…
He is constantly credited for being a humanitarian and “a true citizen of the world” according to Robert. R. Wilson. He even took in Jewish refugees and provided them jobs at his lab in Copenhagen during WWII. Looking back at this time Bohr has been quoted that he found it “ difficult to convey the fervent hopes that the progress of science might initiate a new era of harmonious cooperation between nations.” As at that time Nazi fascism was at an all time high, Bohr almost being a victim of it, was very outspoken about his political views and hopes. He had written an “open letter” to the United Nations dated June 9, 1950. This letter stated how he thought that countries shouldn’t use atomic weapons and “dangers involved in the technical advances have now most forcibly stressed the need for decisive steps toward openness as a primary condition for the progress and protection of civilization.” The IAEA would later be formed very close along the lines of Bohr 's original suggestion of nuclear power for