Mark Oliphant

Sir Marcus Laurence Elwin "Mark" Oliphant, (1901 October 8 – 2000 July 14) was an Australian physicist and humanitarian who played an important role in the first experimental demonstration of nuclear fusion. He's known for the co-discovery of Helium-3 and Tritium. As well as his work in Radar, the MAUD Committee, and electromagnetic isotope separation during the 2nd World War. He became the first director of the Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering at the new Australian National University (ANU) after the war. He retired from that position in 1967 and got into politics where he not only became the first South Australian-born governor of South Australia but also founder of the Australian Democrats party. One of his advocacies was voluntary euthanasia following the suffering of his wife, Rosa, before death in 1987. Other's included the need for Australia to create it's own arsenal of Nuclear Weapons independent of a US supplier in order to ensure it's continued sovereignty as he speculated that in the future the world would be influenced by the power of those with such weapons and those without. He felt Australia would become merely a satellite of the United States if it failed to secure such weapons for it's self. This position was criticized by his opponents due to statement's earlier in life pointing towards an Anti-Nuclear Weapon stance.

Atomic Quotes

 * "[I felt] sort of proud that the bomb had worked, and absolutely appalled at what it had done to human beings." - in regards to Hiroshima's bombing.
 * "I, right from the beginning, have been terribly worried by the existence of nuclear weapons and very much against their use." - at the Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs