Biog 1954-56 Technician (Glasgow University)
Building stabilised power units and electronic circuitry for research projects was
the initial function. Eventually seconded to a Carbon-14 dating project devised by
Dr Samuel Curran, FRS [later Sir Samuel Curran, Principal of Strathclyde University]
who had just left Glasgow for AWRE, Aldermaston, to work on development of the Hydrogen
bomb.
The project, designed to extend the accuracy and range of Carbon-14 dating, was led
by Dr Moljk of Ljubljana University and centred on a specialised version of the ubiquitous
Proportional Counter invented by Dr Curran. My function in the team was to build
the electronic circuitry required to minimise unwanted background counts arising
mainly from cosmic radiation. If memory serves, Dr Curran's project extended Carbon-14
dating by something like 6000 years.*
This work was by far the most interesting period of my time at Glasgow University,
in very large measure due to the learned, often sardonic, and always humorous east-European
views expressed by Dr Moljk on science, politics and life in general.
Towards the end of the project I applied for a post with the newly-formed European
Organisation for Nuclear Research in Geneva. Dr Moljk's refusal to provide me with
a reference for the job at CERN took me greatly by surprise - till I saw the amusement
in his eyes. He arranged that the reference be provided by Dr Curran.
*1957 Proceedings of the Royal Society, A239, 433.
Moljk, Drever & Curran.
Carbon “14” Experiment
Post card from Dr Moljk
