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Linus Pauling, Crusading Scientist: Directed by Robert Richter. With Barclay Kamb, Linda Pauling Kamb, Ava Helen Pauling, Linus Pauling. The documentary traces Pauling's unique achievements as both scientist and peace crusader.
- Robert Richter
- 1977
- Documentary, Biography
- 57
His description reads: "A remarkably versatile scientist, structural chemist Linus Pauling (1901–1994) won the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for determining the nature of the chemical bond linking atoms into molecules. His work in establishing the field of molecular biology; his studies of hemoglobin led to the classification of sickle cell ...
- Overview
- Early life and education
- Elucidation of molecular structures
Linus Pauling (born February 28, 1901, Portland, Oregon, U.S.—died August 19, 1994, Big Sur, California) American theoretical physical chemist who became the only person to have won two unshared Nobel Prizes. His first prize (1954) was awarded for research into the nature of the chemical bond and its use in elucidating molecular structure; the seco...
Pauling was the first of three children and the only son of Herman Pauling, a pharmacist, and Lucy Isabelle (Darling) Pauling, a pharmacist’s daughter. After his early education in Condon and Portland, Oregon, he attended Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University), where he met Ava Helen Miller, who would later become his wife, and w...
After completing postdoctoral studies, Pauling returned to Caltech in 1927. There he began a long career of teaching and research. Analyzing chemical structure became the central theme of his scientific work. By using the technique of X-ray diffraction, he determined the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in several important silicate and sulfide minerals. In 1930, during a trip to Germany, Pauling learned about electron diffraction, and upon his return to California he used this technique of scattering electrons from the nuclei of molecules to determine the structures of some important substances. This structural knowledge assisted him in developing an electronegativity scale in which he assigned a number representing a particular atom’s power of attracting electrons in a covalent bond.
To complement the experimental tool that X-ray analysis provided for exploring molecular structure, Pauling turned to quantum mechanics as a theoretical tool. For example, he used quantum mechanics to determine the equivalent strength in each of the four bonds surrounding the carbon atom. He developed a valence bond theory in which he proposed that a molecule could be described by an intermediate structure that was a resonance combination (or hybrid) of other structures. His book The Nature of the Chemical Bond, and the Structure of Molecules and Crystals (1939) provided a unified summary of his vision of structural chemistry.
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The arrival of the geneticist Thomas Hunt Morgan at Caltech in the late 1920s stimulated Pauling’s interest in biological molecules, and by the mid-1930s he was performing successful magnetic studies on the protein hemoglobin. He developed further interests in protein and, together with biochemist Alfred Mirsky, Pauling published a paper in 1936 on general protein structure. In this work the authors explained that protein molecules naturally coiled into specific configurations but became “denatured” (uncoiled) and assumed some random form once certain weak bonds were broken.
On one of his trips to visit Mirsky in New York, Pauling met Karl Landsteiner, the discoverer of blood types, who became his guide into the field of immunochemistry. Pauling was fascinated by the specificity of antibody-antigen reactions, and he later developed a theory that accounted for this specificity through a unique folding of the antibody’s polypeptide chain. World War II interrupted this theoretical work, and Pauling’s focus shifted to more practical problems, including the preparation of an artificial substitute for blood serum useful to wounded soldiers and an oxygen detector useful in submarines and airplanes. J. Robert Oppenheimer asked Pauling to head the chemistry section of the Manhattan Project, but his suffering from glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the glomerular region of the kidney) prevented him from accepting this offer. For his outstanding services during the war, Pauling was later awarded the Presidential Medal for Merit.
- Robert J. Paradowski
Linus Pauling, Crusading Scientist (Home Use) The life, achievements and challenges of the Nobel Chemistry and Peace prize winner, whom Albert Einstein described as "one of the most inventive scientists of the 20th century." 3 58min 1977. 13+.
Aug 9, 2018 · Pauling discusses how he discovered the alpha helix, the basic structure of most protein molecules, Excerpt from 1977 NOVA program, Linus Pauling: crusading Scientist.
- 2 min
- 10.7K
- GBH Archives
The documentary traces Pauling's unique achievements as both scientist and peace crusader. He enthusiastically describes the events leading to his first Nobel award, for chemistry, while innovative footage depicts his research into the structure of matter, his role in the science of molecular biology, and his race against Watson and Crick for ...
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The documentary traces Pauling's extraordinary achievements as both scientist and peace crusader. He enthusiastically describes the events leading to his first Nobel award, for chemistry, while innovative footage depicts his research into the structure of matter, his role in the science of molecular biology and his race against Watson and Crick ...
