Adventures in cosmogony

I was born and educated in Canada, obtaining my PhD in experimental nuclear physics. When I learned that technetium had been found in stellar spectra, I taught myself some astrophysics and began to study stellar nucleosynthesis. This is an account of those studies and of the pathway through much of theoretical astrophysics and planetary physics that was a natural outgrowth of the pursuit of nucleosynthesis problems. I also discuss my experiences in government service and in academia, in organization of conferences, in governmental advising, and in academic administration. In particular, I emphasize the logical connections among the various scientific themes that I have pursued.