Professor Lennart Simons and the early stages of Finland's nuclear energy technology

Authors

• Markus Ahlskog University of Jyväskylä

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33355/tw.125913

Keywords:

nuclear physics, science policy, Cold War, history of science and learning, Finland, nuclear energy

Abstract

The establishment of the Energy Committee in 1955 is considered the starting point of Finland's nuclear history. The initiative was taken by the President of the Academy of Finland, A.I. Virtanen, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1945, and Erkki Laurila, Professor of Technical Physics at the Helsinki University of Technology, was elected Chairman of the Committee. Almost everywhere in the world, nuclear physics experts led research into nuclear technology, while Finland's only nuclear physicist, Professor Lennart Simons of the University of Helsinki, did not participate at all in the work of the Energy Committee. However, he was a pioneer in basic nuclear physics research in Finland and played a major role in the introduction of medical applications of nuclear physics in Finland. The so-called Simons case, in which the University of Helsinki accused Simons of misconduct in his position and embezzlement of state funds, has been completely forgotten. The accusation led to Simons' suspension. He received a relatively light sentence for his offences. The case was ongoing at the time the Energy Committee was set up, and Mr Simons was not allowed to return to his post until more than six months after the Energy Committee was set up.