Interview: Rewriting Ernest Rutherford, with author Matthew Wright

By the mid-nineteenth century, physicists believed they had discovered the last secrets of the universe.

Then a new world opened up: one of waves, particles and new fundamental forces. This mysterious world swiftly captured public imagination. One of the key movers of this new world was Ernest Rutherford, a no-nonsense New Zealander who became as popularly known as the 'father of the atom' in recognition of his pioneering role in particle physics.

This book explores the discovery of that science, using Rutherford's life as a vehicle to steer the journey. It explains just why this science seized the public imagination of the day, and why Rutherford's contribution was integral not just to the technical revolution of the twentieth century, but to the way we understand the nature of the universe today. And it explains how that science works.

Kete caught up with author Matthew Wright to learn more about his work, the lesser-known aspects of Rutherford and his research, and radioactivity in letters.

Kia ora Matthew and congratulations on the book! There have been several books already written about Rutherford, and his amazing research happened many years ago. Why have you written this book now, and what's different about it? 

I’ve written a book putting Rutherford’s work into the bigger picture of modern physics, which emerged over a generation or so from the late nineteenth century and has shaped today’s world. Nobody has done this before. Prior biographies have looked at his life, while science books have focused just on his direct work defining the cause of radioactivity, or his discovery of the atomic nucleus.

I found that Rutherford was so much more than just the guy who split atoms – and his colleagues knew it too. Einstein called him a ‘second Newton’, and with reason. Indirectly, Rutherford’s work helped shape international politics, through his discovery of the atomic nucleus and the way his successors found out how to weaponise it. Rutherford was worried about somebody doing that as early as 1914.

One of the most important messages of the book is the way Rutherford inspired people – he had an attitude and approach to life that, in turn, can inspire us today, and not just in terms of geeky physics, but as a way forward in life. He had the right attitude.

2. Who do you think Ernest Rutherford and the Birth of Modern Physics will appeal to? Who would be your ideal reader?

This is a book for everyone. It’s about far more than physics. It’s about an attitude to life – about Rutherford’s go-getting attitude, and it’s about hope. Here was a talented but otherwise ordinary kid from Nelson – and later Taranaki – who catapulted himself to the very top of the global physics tree at the turn of the twentieth century. He made a name for himself with his work on the causes of radioactivity, all before he was 30, and that was only the beginning. He was greater than his hands-on work might suggest, because of the way he led and inspired teams of physicists under him, never taking credit for the ideas he gave them. That side of the story has not often been told, and we can take inspiration today from that story. No matter how gloomy the world seems, stories such as Rutherford’s offer hope and light.

What was Rutherford like as a person? 

Rutherford was an interesting character. Once his interest was captured, he never let go. He was intolerant of slackness in his research teams, quick to anger, but as quick to settle down again. One problem he had was articulating his ideas on the spot – he would often fumble words, giving the impression of being a dullard. Colleagues soon found, though, that he had the idea very clearly in his head – the problem was expressing it. That also put him at a disadvantage when it came to job interviews. And he had trouble lecturing: his students even wrote rude songs about him. All of this masked his incredible intellect, as I explored in the book.

Tell us about a few things we use today that exist due to Rutherford’s work?

The whole of modern technology and much else derives from the physics explored by Rutherford and his colleagues from the late nineteenth century. Rutherford’s work contributed in fundamental ways – his discovery of the atomic nucleus, for example, changed the entire way chemistry was understood to work and opened up avenues for later development, everything from new materials to pharmaceuticals.

Other concepts Rutherford developed personally have been exploited in all sorts of ways, from radiation therapy for cancer – which he helped pioneer – to induction cooktops, ultrasound scanners, carbon dating and a pile of other applications. Up until recently one of the most common household items with a Rutherford connection was the ionizing smoke alarm, which was developed in the 1930s from Rutherford’s laboratory apparatus and his discovery that it stopped working if smoke was blown through it. And there is a good deal more, all explored in the book.

Marie Curie wrote to Rutherford but it took some effort to access her letters. Why? And why did she write?

Rutherford was one of the top dozen physicists of his day and kept in close contact with his colleagues, exchanging ideas. They formed a close-knit community. Marie Curie’s work had led to her laboratory becoming contaminated. Her letters to Rutherford, now more than a century old, are still a low-level radiation hazard. I did the maths and worked out they'd still have 95 percent of the emissions they had when originally sent in 1910. A colleague in the UK generously accessed them for me and had to take precautions with gloves. What’s extraordinary is that back in the day these letters were sent through ordinary post and nobody raised an eyebrow. But don’t forget that back then radium was on retail sale in London. It was a very different time.

Ernest Rutherford and the Birth of Modern Physics (Oratia Books) is available in bookstores now.