Willard Libby (chemist)

Willard Libby was a chemist best known for developing radiocarbon dating, a method to determine the age of ancient organic materials. He discovered how to measure the amount of radioactive carbon-14 remaining in artifacts like bones and wood, which decay at a predictable rate over time. This breakthrough revolutionized archaeology and Earth sciences by providing a reliable way to date ancient objects up to around 50,000 years old. Libby was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1960 for this pioneering work, significantly advancing our understanding of历史 and prehistoric periods.