Pauling: The Scientific Genius of the 20th Century

Author: (American) Thomas Hager
Translator: Zhou Zhongliang, Guo Yufeng, Guo Jingming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-01-01
Features: Standing at the threshold of a new century, we look back at the brilliant stars on the scientific stage of the 20th century. An elderly man who shared the century's age, tall and straight-backed, wearing a black beret, with his trademark smile on his face, shone brightly in the starry sky of the century. This was Linus Pauling, one of the founders of modern American chemistry, a figure hailed as a "scientific genius." This book reflects Pauling's growth, academic experiences, and achievements from multiple perspectives, offering a glimpse into the development of society, education, and scientific research in the 20th century. It revisits the shadows left by the two World Wars on international relations, prompting us to deeply reflect on the future of society. In this sense, this biography is a mirror of the passing 20th century, reflecting the social changes of the century. It also reflects the lessons of both the successes and failures of human progress and high technology, as well as the outstanding contributions and high responsibilities of scientists. Pauling's personal strength will inspire us infinitely.
Excerpt: Introduction In 1984, at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Seattle, I first met Linus Pauling. At the time, I was a reporter for the American Medical Association magazine attending the conference. I arrived early at the venue, prepared to hear Pauling present his latest research on high-dose vitamin C. Journalists were well aware that Pauling was a hot topic in the media, but almost all of them believed that his vigorous promotion of vitamin C's benefits had been going on for 13 years, and the news coverage about vitamin C had been overhyped. As a result, of all the reporters scheduled to attend the presentation, only I showed up. In reality, my main interest was not in listening to his presentation but in meeting him as a person. This person had been described in numerous media outlets as the greatest chemist of the century, the most outstanding American scientist still alive, but also as a whimsical eccentric. I arrived early at the venue, and the lecture hall was empty except for me. Pauling strode in, tall and straight-backed, wearing a black beret, with long white hair peeking out from under the brim, forming a silver-white border. He walked straight toward me and introduced himself. To my surprise, he then gave me a private, five-minute lecture on the chemical bond properties of tin. To be honest, I was a complete outsider when it came to quantum chemistry—I was sent to cover the conference because I had a basic understanding of medicine and molecular biology—but despite my limited understanding of what he was explaining, he left a deep impression on me. He murmured as he thought, constantly coming up with new ideas, solving various theoretical problems while speaking. I was captivated by this twice Nobel laureate who was willing to spend precious time discussing scientific issues with me. His focus made me feel honored, and his friendly and enthusiastic demeanor deeply attracted me. Later, I learned that this impression was shared by many of Pauling's admirers. I left behind the yellow note paper Pauling used to record his thoughts and decided to interview him further. I knew that Pauling was born and raised in Oregon, and my hometown was also in Oregon, so I convinced the editor of the Sunday Special Section of the Oregonian in Portland to send me to Pauling's private estate in Big Sur for two days to interview him and write a feature on his early life. After this feature was published, I became obsessed with learning more about Pauling's life and established regular contact with him. Through a period of interaction and discussion, Pauling finally agreed to collaborate on the writing of this book. Pauling's life was long, rich, and full of twists and turns, holding an important place in the history of 20th-century science. His numerous scientific achievements include: the first description of the nature of chemical bonds, the discovery of the structure of proteins, the revelation of the cause of sickle cell anemia, participation in the research on DNA structure, which was one of the most famous scientific competitions of the century. He also led military research projects during World War II and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions. He advanced the development of disciplines such as X-ray crystallography, electron diffraction, quantum mechanics, biochemistry, molecular psychiatry, nuclear physics, anesthesiology, immunology, and nutrition. He wrote more than 500 papers and 11 books. He won the Nobel Prize twice, once for Chemistry and once for Peace (Pauling remains the only person to have won the Nobel Prize twice alone). From a young age, Pauling was recognized as a scientific prodigy—he was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences at the age of 32, becoming the youngest member at the time; at 36, he was appointed to lead the chemistry department of the academy—and he continued to make creative contributions for decades. In his foundational works and captivating lectures, Pauling proposed theories on the forces between atoms and the resulting molecular structures, thereby rewriting 20th-century chemistry. The theory of molecular structure became a central theme in Pauling's work, and he used this unified theory to study physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine, successfully linking the achievements of different disciplines. He bravely broke down the barriers between different disciplines, founding new fields such as chemical physics, molecular orthopedics, and the influential molecular biology. However, Pauling's work in the scientific field was only half of his life's activities. Under the profound influence of his wife, Ava Helen, Pauling actively engaged in political activities, leveraging his significant influence in science. He was a member of the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists, along with Einstein and Szilard. This committee, established after World War II, had a small membership but was given the important task of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Later, Pauling became increasingly outspoken about U.S. government nuclear weapons policy and ultimately faced political persecution, including a 24-year investigation by the FBI. He was stripped of his eligibility to participate in classified projects, his passport was revoked, and he lost government funding. He was libeled in the press, subjected to insulting and threatening accusations from the U.S. Senate, and even faced legal battles, including the widely publicized lawsuits against the Hearst Media Group, the National Review magazine edited by Buckley, and the Department of Defense.
LeoSzilard (1898–1945), an American physicist and biologist, participated in the study of self-sustaining chain reactions and played a role in the Manhattan Project, later researching biophysics and advocating the peaceful use of atomic energy.
The Hearst Media Group was founded by William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951), who owned 25 daily newspapers, 11 weekly magazines, and various other publications, competing in the U.S. media market with sensational news, eye-catching layouts, and low prices.
By the early 1960s, many saw Pauling as a daring, intuitive, rebellious, charismatic, disrespectful of authority, self-reliant, arrogant, and often eccentric figure—and almost always right. However, just a few years later, his reputation plummeted. Shortly after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, he faced intense pressure from government agencies and was forced to stop his political activities. He then reluctantly left Caltech, the base of his scientific work for 40 years. When most people were considering retirement, Pauling lost his academic home and became a wanderer in the academic world, moving between different institutions until he finally founded his own institute dedicated to studying nutrition and medicine.
In the early 1970s, his promotion of high-dose vitamin C brought him back into the public eye. He claimed that high doses of vitamin C could help alleviate various illnesses, from common colds to cancer. His claims drew furious criticism from medical institutions, and his former colleagues watched with concern as Pauling devoted his energy and money to researching this inexpensive nutritional supplement. To many, it seemed a futile endeavor. Over the next 20 years, Pauling's image in the scientific community shifted from a scientific elite to a eccentric and reclusive figure. However, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the emergence of new evidence, people's understanding of vitamin C's effects became more comprehensive. While still not entirely clear, this evidence increasingly supported the correctness of the theories Pauling had promoted over decades.