SCIENCE sciencemag.org 6 DECEMBER 2019 • VOL 366 ISSUE 6470 1191PHOTO: JOSEPH MACGREGOR/NASA
called neutron capture, Fermi paved the way
for a number of element discoveries to come.
From Rome, we travel to Berlin for the dis-
covery of nuclear fission in 1938 and then on
to Berkeley, California, where scientists be-
gan the search for the transuranic elements
(elements heavier than uranium) in 1939.
Chapman does an admirable job of bring-
ing to the forefront the incredible contribu-
tions of women scientists to this endeavor.
One such story is that of nuclear chemist
Darleane Hoffman, who was told repeatedly
that she should set her sights on becoming a
chemistry teacher. Instead, she would go on
to hold appointments at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, Los Alamos, and the University
of California, Berkeley, and earn her place in
history by confirming the existence of seabor-
gium (element 106).
In the final third of the book, Chapman
takes readers on a tour of the modern world
of element discovery. Tales from RIKEN in Ja-
pan, GSI in Germany, and other international
laboratories complement stories from the
early post–Cold War period, including anec-
dotes about collaborations between research-
ers at Berkeley and those in Dubna, Russia.
Although some transuranic elements have
proven useful in medical science and other
applications, the elements beyond 118 are
very unstable. Practical use of these materi-
als, then, is not the point. Even the honor
of choosing the names of newly discovered
elements—a topic into which Chapman dives
perhaps too deeply—is not the point. It is the
acquisition of knowledge, the drive to expand
our understanding of the world, that many
would say is the purpose of such an endeavor.Superheavy: Making and Breaking the Periodic
Table, Kit Chapman, Bloomsbury Sigma, 2019, 304 pp.
For a full-length review of Superheavy, see “Our autumn
reading list,” Science 365 , 972 (2019).The Ice at the End
of the World
Reviewed by William E. Glassley^17Although Greenland occasionally figures
into news stories and debates about rising
sea level and a warming Earth, the relevant
historical background rarely enters into
such discussions. Consequently, many fas-cinating elements of the island’s story that
could capture the interest and attention of
the public have lain dormant. Jon Gertner’s
compelling book, The Ice at the End of the
World, addresses this paucity with intelli-
gence and insight.
The book is divided into two parts.
Part 1, “Explorations,” describes expeditions
that took place near the turn of the 20th
century. Gertner conveys the psychological
and physical struggles these individuals suf-
fered through, as well as their exhilarating
successes, with a realism that acknowledges
the emotional and physical toll of these en-
deavors. In Part 2, “Investigations,” Gertner
chronicles the evolution of scientific stud-
ies of the Greenland ice sheet between 1949
and 2018. Detailed here are the challenges
that were surmounted to obtain continuous
ice cores suitable for establishing a chrono-
logical record and that would provide mate-
rial for laboratory analyses.
Gertner also describes the evolution of
technology that expanded our knowledge
of the physical properties of Greenland’s ice
and enhanced our understanding of its dy-
namics. He communicates the importanceof these accomplishments through candid
observations from those involved.
Without judgment or comment, Gertner
provides details worthy of philosophical
reflection about the influence that military
pursuits have had on the ability to con-
duct research in remote settings and how
we value science. In the book’s closing
chapters, he discusses global warming, de-
scribing the controversy of whether rapid
climate change has ever happened or even
could happen. He also articulates its stag-
gering implications.
Greenland and its ice will remain a place
rich with opportunities for research and in-
vestigation, and Gertner’s excellent book is
a must-read for those who are curious about
the history of exploration and the pursuit of
science there.The Ice at the End of the World: An Epic Journey
into Greenland’s Buried Past and Our Perilous Future,
Jon Gertner, Random House, 2019, 445 pp.
For a full-length review of The Ice at the End of the
World, see “A remote region, revealed,” Science 364 ,
1241 (2019).10.1126/science.aba0957(^1) The reviewer is an associate editor at Science Immunology. Email: [email protected] (^2) The reviewer is the Letters editor at Science. Email: [email protected] (^3) The reviewer is a senior editor at
Science. Email: [email protected]^4 The reviewer is a senior editor at Science. Email: [email protected]^5 The reviewer is a publications assistant at Science. Email: [email protected]^6 The
reviewer is a senior editor at Science. Email: [email protected]^7 The reviewer is an eighth-grade student at Takoma Park Middle School, Silver Spring, MD 20912, USA.^8 The reviewer is a senior editor at
Science Translational Medicine. Email: [email protected]^9 The reviewer is a senior editor at Science. Email: [email protected]^10 The reviewer is an associate editor at Science. Email: [email protected]
(^11) The reviewer is an associate editor at Science. Email: [email protected] (^12) The reviewer is a news reporter at Science. Email: [email protected] (^13) The reviewer is the executive editor of Science.
Email: [email protected]^14 The reviewer is a senior editor at Science. Email: [email protected]^15 The reviewer is a senior editorial fellow at Science. Email: [email protected]^16 The reviewer is
at Accenture Federal Services, Arlington, VA 22203, USA. Email: [email protected]^17 The reviewer is at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis,
CA 95616, USA, and the Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark. Email: [email protected]
A plane flies over
southeast Greenland as
part of a NASA mission
to monitor polar ice.
Published by AAAS
on December 12, 2019^
http://science.sciencemag.org/
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