author
Earl W. Phelan
1900–1993
A chemistry professor who wrote science for general readers, he helped explain how radioactive isotopes were being used in diagnosis and treatment at a time when nuclear medicine was still new to many people.
1 Audiobook
Radioisotopes in Medicine
by Earl W. Phelan
About the author
Earl W. Phelan was an American science writer and chemistry professor best known for Radioisotopes in Medicine, a mid-1960s booklet in the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's Understanding the Atom series. Written for non-specialists, the book introduces the medical uses of radioisotopes in clear, practical language, showing a talent for making technical ideas easier to grasp.
Available author records identify him as Earl W. Phelan, PhD, and note that he served as head of the chemistry department at Valdosta State College in Georgia and later as professor of chemistry at Tusculum College in Tennessee. Those roles fit the voice of his published work: patient, educational, and focused on helping everyday readers understand modern science.
Born in 1900 and deceased in 1993, Phelan is remembered today mainly through this concise but accessible contribution to public science writing. For listeners interested in vintage science books, his work offers a snapshot of how nuclear medicine was explained to the public in the 1960s.