Bernhardt Patrick John O’Mara Bockris (5 January 1923 – 7 July 2013)
was a South African professor of chemistry, latterly at
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
. During his long and prolific career he published some 700 papers and two dozen books. His best known work is in
electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between Electric potential, electrical potential difference and identifiable chemical change. These reactions involve Electron, electrons moving via an electronic ...
but his output also extended to environmental chemistry,
photoelectrochemistry
Photoelectrochemistry is a subfield of study within physical chemistry concerned with the interaction of light with electrochemical systems. It is an active domain of investigation. One of the pioneers of this field of electrochemistry was the Ge ...
and
bioelectrochemistry. In the 1990s he experimented with
cold fusion
Cold fusion is a hypothesized type of nuclear reaction that would occur at, or near, room temperature. It would contrast starkly with the nuclear fusion, "hot" fusion that is known to take place naturally within Main sequence, stars and artific ...
and transmutation, topics on which his unorthodox views provoked controversy.
Early life
John Bockris was born on 5 January 1923, in
Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
. His mother was Emmeline Mary MacNally and his father Alfred Bockris. He attended a sequence of schools in Brighton, including the preparatory school
Withdean Hall from 1934 to 1937, and
Xaverian College
Xaverian College is a Roman Catholic college located in Rusholme, Manchester, England, approximately south of the city centre. Established in 1862, it is recognised as being one of the most oversubscribed sixth form colleges in Greater Manches ...
, a Catholic
secondary school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
, from 1937 to 1940. His father was not present during his childhood: His mother and aunt earned their income from tailoring.
University education
In 1940 Bockris began his scholarly education at Brighton Technical College, which after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
became
Brighton University
The University of Brighton is a public university based in Brighton on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achieved university status in 1992.
Th ...
. Bockris wanted to study for a degree in Physics but this was not possible due to wartime staff shortages. Instead he took a two-year general degree in the natural sciences. In 1943, after a year of further study, he was accepted by
Imperial College, London
Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a Public university, public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a Al ...
as a graduate student. He avoided conscription into the British armed forces due to his South African nationality.
Bockris relates that his supervisor,
Harold Ellingham, provided minimal guidance and soon left the university altogether.
Despite these obstacles, Bockris finished the research for his thesis, ''Electrochemistry of Non-aqueous Solutions,'' in two years, and received his doctorate in September 1945.
Academic career
Upon completion of his doctorate, at the age of 22, Bockris was immediately appointed to the faculty of Imperial College on the recommendation of
Harry Emeléus. Over the course of the next eight years he supervised 28 graduate students with whom he co-authored a sufficient number of publications to qualify for his D.Sc., which he obtained in 1952. Among these students was
Roger Parsons, a future fellow of the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
, whom Bockris held in high regard.
Bockris moved to USA in 1953 to join the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
as Professor of Chemistry, where he built a large and active research group. It was here that he published his best known work: the first model of the electrode-electrolyte surface to include the dipole moment of the solvent, and his two-volume textbook ''Modern Electrochemistry.'' After 18 years in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, however, departmental politics became such that Bockris felt the need to move.
During next appointment, at
Flinders University
Flinders University, established as The Flinders University of South Australia is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across a number of locations in South Australia and ...
of South Australia from 1971 onwards, his interests broadened to include
photoelectrochemistry
Photoelectrochemistry is a subfield of study within physical chemistry concerned with the interaction of light with electrochemical systems. It is an active domain of investigation. One of the pioneers of this field of electrochemistry was the Ge ...
and environmental chemistry. In 1979 Bockris made his final move to
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
where he remained until his retirement in 1997. In his later years his research focus veered further toward sources of energy and he embraced positions on some controversial topics that acquired a certain celebrity but damaged his professional reputation.
Electrode kinetics remained a major component of his research program throughout. Bockris also conducted investigations of high temperature chemistry, the determinants of electrolyte solubility, and
hydrogen/metal interactions.
Bockris was a prolific scholar, collaborator, and mentor. By the end of his career, he had authored, coauthored or edited more than 700 papers and two dozen books, and 85 students had obtained a PhD degree with his supervision.
Controversies
Hydrogen as a fuel
In 1970, Bockris, then a professor at the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
, said he had found a method for using sunlight to free hydrogen from water and coined the term "
hydrogen economy
The hydrogen economy is an umbrella term for the roles hydrogen can play alongside low-carbon electricity to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The aim is to reduce emissions where cheaper and more energy-efficient clean solutions are not ava ...
" to describe the application of the anticipated technology.
In 1975 he published a book on the subject.
In 1982, at Texas A&M, he announced a "quantum leap" in his hydrogen-fuel technology through a "secret catalyst" that split water into hydrogen and oxygen even without the energy of sunlight. In 1984, he said he had found a material that facilitated complete conversion of sunlight to electricity. All of these "discoveries" were eventually attributed to basic errors in his research, although Bockris himself never acknowledged his mistakes.
[Brian Wallstin]
"Aggie Alchemy: John Bockris was known around Texas A&M as a chemist interested in "weird science." Joe Champion gave him all he could handle."
''Houston Press'', 7 April 1994
Cold fusion
Bockris performed a series of cold fusion experiments in the wake of the announcement in 1989 by
Pons
The pons (from Latin , "bridge") is part of the brainstem that in humans and other mammals, lies inferior to the midbrain, superior to the medulla oblongata and anterior to the cerebellum.
The pons is also called the pons Varolii ("bridge of ...
and
Fleischmann that their electrolysis of
heavy water
Heavy water (deuterium oxide, , ) is a form of water (molecule), water in which hydrogen atoms are all deuterium ( or D, also known as ''heavy hydrogen'') rather than the common hydrogen-1 isotope (, also called ''protium'') that makes up most o ...
had produced results consistent with
nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction, reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei combine to form a larger nuclei, nuclei/neutrons, neutron by-products. The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifested as either the rele ...
.
Many groups attempted similar experiments: Bockris' research group was one of few to provide results that supported those of Pons and Fleischmann, reporting decisive evidence of tritium production. Their results were greeted with widespread skepticism.
Gary Taubes wrote an editorial in
Science
Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
suggesting that their cells might have been spiked with
tritiated water. An academic tribunal at Texas A&M eventually ruled out fraud, declaring that intentionally spiked experiments gave different results. Bockris, seemingly inured to criticism,
published his side of the controversy in a stubborn defense of academic freedom.
Though his professional reputation declined after this episode, the
International Society for Condensed Matter Nuclear Reactions continued to hold Bockris in high esteem, awarding him its Preparata Medal in 2012.
Transmutation
In 1993, Bockris claimed to be experimenting with the transmutation of elements, specifically of base metals into
gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
. The scientist received a degree of media attention for these extraordinary claims, to the extent that other academics at Texas A&M felt that the institution's reputation was suffering from the connection to the discredited "science" of
alchemy
Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...
. An editorial by Mike Epstein in the ''
Journal of Scientific Exploration
The Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE) is a group committed to studying fringe science. The opinions of the organization in regard to what are the proper limits of scientific exploration are often at odds with those of mainstream science. Cr ...
'' describes what happened next:
:A petition signed by 23 of the 28 distinguished professors at Texas A&M called on the university provost to strip Bockris of his title as distinguished professor. The petition follows a letter written by 11 full professors in the chemistry department (out of the department's 38 full professors) calling on Bockris to resign and remove the "shadow" he has cast over the department. The petition from the distinguished professors said "For a trained scientist to claim, or support anyone else's claim to have transmuted elements is difficult for us to believe and is no more acceptable than to claim to have invented a gravity shield, revived the dead or to be mining green cheese on the moon. We believe that Bockris' recent activities have made the terms 'Texas A&M' and '
Aggie' objects of derisive laughter throughout the world..."
Epstein's conclusion, however, was a defense of academic freedom:
:"However, I would remind those who seek his ouster or demotion that their actions threaten the core of academic freedom. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, but no one should be punished for attempting to provide that proof".
The petition failed, and Dr. Bockris was eventually absolved by a four-professor panel of violating Texas A&M standards in proposing, conducting or reporting controversial research.
[Report: Committee of inquiry. Re: Allegation of Scientific Misconduct against J. O'M Bockris, 31 January 1994. Texas A&M university, Office of the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost for Graduate Studies.]
In
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
, Bockris was awarded an
Ig Nobel Prize
The Ig Nobel Prize () is a satirical prize awarded annually since 1991 to promote public engagement with scientific research. Its aim is to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think." The name of the award is a ...
in the field of Physics for his work in cold fusion and transmutation.
The awardee declined to accept the trophy in person.
Honours and awards
* Médaille d’honneur, from the
University of Louvain in Belgium, 1951.
*
Breyer-Gutmann Medal,
Australian Chemical Society, 1975.
* The Chemical Lecture Award, the
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy (), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish language authority. Outside Scandinavia, it is best known as the body t ...
, 1979.
* Membership of
Swedish Academy of Engineers as foreign member, 1979.
* The
Faraday Medal
The Faraday Medal is a top international medal awarded by the UK Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) (previously called the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE)). As one of the world's most prestigious awards in engineering, it ...
of the Electrochemistry Group of the
Royal Society of Chemistry
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society and professional association in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the ...
, 1981
* Award of the
Chemical Society of the USA for Developments of Modern Fuels, 1982.
* Award in Teaching Electrochemistry,
Electrochemical Society
The Electrochemical Society is a learned society (professional association) based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of electrochemistry solid-state science and related technology. The Society membership comprises ...
, 1985.
* Honorary doctorate from the
University of La Plata, Argentina, 1986.
* Honorary PhD of the
University of Hokkaido, Japan, 1988.
* Member of the
Serbian Academy of Sciences, 1992.
*
Volta Medal in Physics associated with the Bicentenary of Volta, Pavia, Italy, 2000.
*
Ig Nobel Prize
The Ig Nobel Prize () is a satirical prize awarded annually since 1991 to promote public engagement with scientific research. Its aim is to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think." The name of the award is a ...
in Physics,
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
Publications
*
*
See also
*
Timeline of hydrogen technologies
This is a timeline of the history of hydrogen technology.
Timeline
16th century
* c. 1520 – First recorded observation of hydrogen by Paracelsus through dissolution of metals (iron, zinc, and tin) in sulfuric acid.
17th century
* 1625 – F ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bockris, John
Texas A&M University faculty
University of Pennsylvania faculty
South African emigrants to the United Kingdom
Members of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
1923 births
2013 deaths
20th-century chemists
British emigrants to the United States
Ig Nobel laureates