Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Meandering on . . .

Today is the birthday of Max Ferdinand Perutz, (May 19, 1914 – February 6, 2002), molecular biologist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1962, which he shared with John Kendrew for their studies of the structures of hemoglobin and globular proteins.

Max Perutz is oft referred to as the father of molecular biology. He founded the small research group in which Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the structure of DNA and under his leadership it became the world-famous Laboratory for Molecular Biology.

"Science is part of culture. Culture isn't only art and music and literature, it's also understanding what the world is made of and how it functions. People should know something about stars, matter and chemistry. People often say that they don't like chemistry but we deal with chemistry all the time. People don't know what heat is, they hardly know what water is. I'm always surprised how little people know about anything. I'm puzzled by it." — Max Perutz

‘"There is a real world independent of our senses: the laws of nature were not invented by man, but forced upon him by that natural world. They are the expression of a rational order." - Max Perutz

"True science thrives best in glass houses where everyone can look in. When the windows are blacked out, as in war, the weeds take over; when secrecy muffles criticism, charlatans and cranks flourish." - Max Perutz

"In Science Truth Always Wins" — Max Perutz

Perutz image source (1)

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