Feb 27th, 2014
“Whatever the context and whatever the audience, he was clear, he was committed, he was compassionate, and, far more often than most, he was right — or if not, at least on the side of the angels.”
-Derek A. Davenport, The Many Lives of Linus Pauling: A Review of Reviews.
The human race have gone so far in what they have discovered during the last century. On February 28th 1901 Linus Pauling (1901 – 1994) was born in Portland, Oregon to give humanity a strong push and a critical ‘slow down’. I’ll leave his greatest discovery until the end. Though his discoveries in understanding the structure of the protein and the impact of the vitamins in our nutrition were some of the great contributions. However, in a very short piece of article I can’t attribute his favor to humanity on a single discovery. Fair enough that the Nobel prize committee gave him his first award in Chemistry for all of his life contributions in chemistry combined rather than a single discovery as it is usually the case.
“Science cannot be stopped. Man will gather knowledge no matter what the consequences – and we cannot predict what they will be.Science will go on — whether we are pessimistic, or are optimistic, as I am. I know that great, interesting, and valuable discoveries can be made and will be made… But I know also that still more interesting discoveries will be made that I have not the imagination to describe — and I am awaiting them, full of curiosity and enthusiasm”
Linus Pauling, 1949
Pauling gave the human race a great ‘slow down’ that very likely did save earth creatures from extinction. His activism against nuclear bombs testing helped to create a huge alliance of scientists who showed their clear opposition to such massively destructive tool. The humanity truly owes him and those courageous men and women in the white coat uniform who carried the power of wisdom to stop or at least slow down the most dangerous and unwise tests since the existence of the very first Homo sapiens ! … Speaking of such word , Homo Sapiens means in Latin : ( Wise Man ). Let’s hope we are still living up to the definition of our evolutionary status !
Celebrating Linus Pauling’s birthday, Benny and I hold 2 medals peace and chemistry Nobel Prize awards. The only unshared awards by a single man in different fields. This beaver arms are so big that the medal in his hand was out of the frame !
I don’t share the magnitude of any of the wisdom, courage, creativity of Linus Pauling. I barely share with him the campus he once studied and taught at. And once met his greatest discovery. I know I’m going to talk about ‘it’ soon ! Caltech would have the honer of his later discoveries and accomplishments. I do hope we could encourage kids to take risks as he used to in his childhood. I wish to have our graduate students, scholars and researchers to have the courage and wisdom to be selective in their pursuit for knowledge that adds the most to humanity. Thinking of that, it is not the magnitude of what Linus did, it is the direction. Choosing the right direction is of a higher priority than the magnitude.
“I have always wanted to know as much as possible about the world.”
-Linus Pauling In His Own Words (1995) by Barbara Marinacci
Cover of How to Live Longer and Feel Better by Linus Pauling to illustrate article on him and on Vitamin C mega dosage.
Linus Pauling is a legendary person. However, despite his discovery of the chemical structure of the active component of of all living tissues; the protein, he failed in his attempt to propose a structure for the DNA ( read more about this blunder and other ones ). He had multiple careers in his life with very honorable aims.
– ” I have something that I call my Golden Rule. It goes something like this: (Do unto others twenty-five percent better than you expect them to do unto you.) … The twenty-five percent is for error. ”
– Pauling’s reply to an audience question about his ethical system, following his lecture circa 1961 at Monterey Peninsula College, in Monterey, California.
Wandering at his office placed at the Special collections in the fifth floor of the Valley Library in Oregon State University I find a love letter to his dedicated and faithful beloved one, Ava Helen. A lady who he met in one of the classes he was teaching. She amused him with her answers and did not stop there. She influenced his social conscious development and supported him in his scientific and activism journey. A partner who made this talented guy a great influencer in the 21st Century. No wonder, when Linus Pauling was asked about his greatest discovery, He would always say: “My wife”.
Praying for his soul rest in peace, I keep praying to soon discover my greatest discovery too ! But now it is time to get back to my research !!
Sami
