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Patterson's Path to Chemistry
- Clare Patterson's interest in chemistry began with a childhood chemistry set.
- This led him to the Manhattan Project, where he felt used after the bombings.
Earth's Age Discovery
- Patterson used a mass spectrometer to determine the age of rocks by measuring uranium decay into lead.
- This led to his discovery of Earth's age, 4.6 billion years old.
Lead Contamination Discovery
- While studying ocean sediment, Patterson found higher lead levels in newer samples.
- He linked this to leaded gasoline, revealing widespread lead contamination.