Linus Carl Pauling (1901–94) was an American theoretical physical chemist and peace activist. He is the only person to have won two unshared Nobel Prizes—his first prize (for chemistry in 1954) recognized his research into the nature of the chemical bond and its use in elucidating the molecular structure, the second (for peace in 1962) was awarded for his efforts to ban the testing of nuclear weapons.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Pauling was educated at Oregon State College and California Institute of Technology (Caltech,) receiving his PhD in 1925. After postdoctoral work with Arnold Sommerfeld in Munich, Niels Bohr in Copenhagen, and Erwin Schrödinger in Zürich, Pauling was on the chemistry faculty at Caltech 1927–63, as a full professor from 1931.
Pauling’s early work on crystal structures (1928) shed light on mineral chemistry. His interest in the quantum-mechanical treatment of the chemical bond and complex molecular structures led him to work in biology and medicine; he studied the structures of proteins and antibodies. He investigated the nature of serological reactions and the chemical basis of hereditary disease. He proposed the concept of “molecular disease” and founded the science of “orthomolecular” medicine. His research produced two influential books: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (1935) and The Nature of the Chemical Bond (1939.)
After World War II, Pauling turned his focus on political causes, in particular to efforts to end nuclear-bomb testing. He persisted in spite of government harassment and became a world leader in the peace movement. His anti-nuclear campaign forced him to resign from Caltech.
Pauling spent his last years at a California research institute that he cofounded in 1973, studying the health effects of vitamin C and other nutrients. He published Vitamin C and the Common Cold (1970) and How to Live Longer and Feel Better (1986.)
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Satisfaction of one’s curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.
—Linus Pauling
Topics: Satisfaction
Science is the search for truth – it is not a game in which one tries to beat his opponent, to do harm to others. We need to have the spirit of science in international affairs, to make the conduct of international affairs the effort to find t he right solution, the just solution of international problems, not the effort by each nation to get the better of other nations, to do harm to them when it is possible.
—Linus Pauling
Topics: Science, Truth
I think every person should be able to enjoy life. Try to decide what you most enjoy doing, and then look around to see if there is a job for which you could prepare yourself that would enable you to continue having this sort of joy.
—Linus Pauling
Topics: Doing, Try, Life
Facts are the air of scientists. Without them you can never fly.
—Linus Pauling
Do unto others 20% better than you would expect them to do unto you, to correct for subjective error.
—Linus Pauling
To have good ideas, you have to have a lot of ideas.
—Linus Pauling
Topics: Ideas
If you want to have good ideas you must have many ideas. Most of them will be wrong, and what you have to learn is which ones to throw away.
—Linus Pauling
Topics: Ideas
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