October 10 is the Day of Standardization and Metrology Workers in Ukraine, and the World Day of the Fight Against the Death Penalty and World Sight Day.
On October 10, 1932, an atomic nucleus was split for the first time in Kharkiv.
Day of standardization and metrology workers
This professional holiday is important for those who work in the field of ensuring the quality of products and services, compliance with international and national standards, as well as accurate measurement of all aspects of life and activity. The work of these specialists guarantees the safety and reliability of production, technology, and even medicine.
Interesting facts
The first attempts to standardize products took place in ancient Egypt, where standards were created for the manufacture of bricks, and precise measurements were used for the construction of the pyramids.
There are more than 20,000 international standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and they cover everything from food safety to quality standards in software.
From ancient times to today, metrology – the science of measurement – has evolved and now includes not only the measurement of length, mass or time, but also complex measurement technologies in biology, medicine and physics.
One of the most accurate units of measurement is the atomic clock. The error in the operation of such a clock is less than 1 second in 138 million years.
In Ukraine, standardization is an important element of integration into the European market. Today, many Ukrainian standards are harmonized with European ones.
World Day Against the Death Penalty
This day was launched by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty in 2003 to draw attention to the issue of the death penalty and raise public awareness of the need for its abolition worldwide.
Interesting facts
Today, more than 170 countries of the world have either completely abolished the death penalty or introduced a moratorium on its execution. However, in some countries, such as China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, the death penalty is still used.
One of the main reasons for abolishing the death penalty is the risk of convicting the innocent. Mistakes in the justice system can lead to irreparable consequences, which is often a major argument against the death penalty.
China is the world leader in the number of executions, although official statistics there are classified. Other countries that widely use the death penalty are Iran, Egypt, and Iraq.
Many international treaties and conventions call for the abolition of the death penalty. One of the most important is the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aimed at the complete abolition of the death penalty.
In countries where the death penalty has been abolished, alternative punishments such as life imprisonment are used. Many human rights organizations are also in favor of reforming the penitentiary system, in particular for ensuring the rehabilitation and correction of criminals.
The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty and other organizations are active in public opinion change, education campaigns and lobbying for legislative changes to abolish the death penalty in countries where it still exists.
World Sight Day
This is an international initiative aimed at raising awareness of the importance of preserving sight and preventing blindness. Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO), together with other organizations, conducts activities aimed at making people pay more attention to the condition of their eyes and undergo timely examinations.
Interesting facts
According to the WHO, more than 2.2 billion people in the world today have visual impairment or total blindness, and at least half of these cases could have been prevented or corrected.
The most common causes of blindness are cataracts and uncorrected refractive problems (such as nearsightedness and farsightedness). With the help of modern medicine, most of these conditions can be easily diagnosed and treated.
It is estimated that about 1.4 million children worldwide are blind, and 75% of these cases could be prevented or cured if appropriate medical care was provided in time.
The use of gadgets and screens affects eye health. Excessive work with screens can lead to “dry eye syndrome”, visual fatigue and even myopia.
Myopia is spreading rapidly throughout the world, especially among children and adolescents. According to forecasts, by 2050, about half of the world’s population may be myopic.
Almost 90% of visually impaired people live in low- and middle-income countries, where access to quality health services is limited.
Historical events on this day
1858 with the support of the United States, an organized armed struggle for independence of Cuba from the Spanish Empire began.
1911 in China, the monarchy was overthrown, and Sun Yat-sen proclaimed the Republic of China, which became an important step on the way to modern Chinese statehood.
1933 year the first Dreft washing powder appeared in US department stores. It was a revolutionary product, which was explained by the effect of “the power of miracle molecules that suck dirt out of fabrics”, and the term “soap opera” arose through advertising radio plays sponsored by the manufacturers of the powder.
1943 The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR passed a decree on the establishment of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky I, II and III degrees, which was an important symbol for the military. Also this year, George Orwell, an English writer, used the term “Cold War” for the first time in his essay “You and the Atomic Bomb”, which became the harbinger of a new era of international relations.
1948 the first long-range guided ballistic missile R-1 was launched under the leadership of Sergey Korolev, which became an important milestone in the development of space and military technologies of the USSR.
1963 the international treaty banning nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, outer space and underwater came into force, which became a significant step in the fight to reduce the nuclear threat.
1964 year XVIII Olympic Games began in Tokyo, which became an important event for world sports.
of 2017 a study conducted by London’s Imperial College and the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that since 1975, the level of childhood and adolescent obesity has increased tenfold. Scientists have also predicted that by 2022, the percentage of people who are obese may exceed the number of those who are underweight.
The first fission of an atomic nucleus
On October 10, 1932, in Kharkiv, at the Ukrainian Physical and Technical Institute (UPTI), an atomic nucleus was split for the first time in the USSR. This historical event was made possible thanks to the efforts of scientists Anton Walter, Georgy Latyshev, Oleksandr Leypunskyi and Kirill Synelnikov, who split the nucleus of the lithium atom.
The success of UFTI in this experiment was half a year ahead of world achievements, second only to the Cavendish Laboratory in England, known as the world center of physical research, which at that time had already trained more than 40 Nobel laureates. However, it was not a shame for scientists from Kharkiv, because UFTI was considered one of the best physics institutes in the world.
It is interesting that on the day of this decisive experiment, an important guest happened to be at the institute – the future Nobel laureate, academician Petro Kapitsa. He witnessed how when the voltage that accelerated the protons increased, sparks began to appear in the field of view of the microscope, indicating the decay of lithium nuclei. It was from this moment that the era of nuclear physics began in the USSR.
In the future, the Ukrainian Institute of Physics and Technology became a world-class scientific center. A little later, Lev Landau, the future Nobel laureate, who headed the theoretical department of the UFTI, moved to work at the institute. In 1935-1936, the world’s largest Van de Graaf electrostatic generator with a 10-meter metal conductor and a 15-meter accelerating tube was created on the territory of the institute, which became the most powerful on the planet.
Lev Landau, who at that time was already a famous physicist, chose Kharkiv for work not by chance. According to his son, Kharkiv was then one of the largest scientific centers in the world, not inferior to Leningrad. It was here that the first laboratory in the USSR was created for the study of physical phenomena at very low temperatures.
The conditions for scientific research at UFTI were so impressive that even the famous Danish physicist Nils Bohr, visiting Kharkiv, left the following words:
“I am glad to have the opportunity to express my great admiration and satisfaction, which I felt while inspecting the wonderful new Physical and Technical Institute in Kharkiv.”
In those days, Kharkiv became a real “Silicon Valley” of physics. Scholars from various countries, including Austria, Germany, and the United States, have lived in the city for years, conducting research and lecturing.
By the way, it was in Kharkiv that Landau created his famous “formula of happiness”, which states that 30% of time should be devoted to work, 30% to communication and another 30% to love, adding that “one should be happy, but the wife should also to be happy”.
During World War II, the Nazis tried to destroy the UFTI complex, but they failed. After the war, the institute became a key center for the implementation of the Soviet atomic program. At the height of the Cold War, a huge bunker capable of accommodating more than 1,500 people was built on the territory of the UFTI.
Current plans to commemorate this science center have included the idea of erecting a monument in honor of nuclear fission, but for now it seems more inclined to destroy the monuments. In this place, which changed world science, they are now planning to create quest rooms
