In chapter 8, the author starts by talking about Time magazine's "Men of the Year" for 1960. From the 15 US scientists mentioned in the edition, Kean goes on to focus on Emilio Segre and Linus Pauling. The author then mentions that both men are noticed for making the two biggest mistakes in science history. Kean also mentions that these mistakes could have been avoided had the two scientists paid more attention to the periodic table.
Kean then goes on to talk about the Loch Ness Monster of the elements, element 43. Element 43 is known to have been "found" multiple times by many scientists, but it was officially found in 1937 by Emilio Segre and another Italian scientist. Segre's major mistake came when he believed that there were no transuranic elemental properties about element ninety-three and he also misidentified transuranic neptunium as a fission product. Once element 43 had been found, the never ending battle of naming the first man made element followed. Element 43 was eventually named technetium, which is Greek for "artificial" hence the description of the first man made element.
The subject then turns to Linus Pauling. This man set out to find out the molecular structure of DNA and he could have been credited for that major accomplishment had he paid attention to some basic chemistry. Today, DNA is known to be a double helix, but Pauling thought that DNA was a triple helix! Pauling had seen pieces of DNA as a triple helix, but he had actually seen dead DNA and dead DNA twists more than live DNA. Pauling thought that the only way that the molecules in DNA fit where by having the nucleotides in the outside of the strands and the sugar backbone towards the inside. In 1953, Linus Pauling proudly published his paper on his version of DNA, all while ignoring the fact that like charges repel and the three inward phosphides would theoretically explode apart. The part where Pauling made one of the biggest mistakes in science history was that if Pauling had access to research by Rosalind Franklin, he could have seen that DNA was a double helix. Rosalind Franklin had come to the conclusion of a double helix DNA by extracting DNA from live squid sperm. Instead of Linus Pauling, James Watson and Francis Crick, two graduate students from Cambridge University, found the real structure of DNA. Both students went out to work on the real shape until finally, they found that it was a double helix and the nucleotides fit together like puzzle pieces, thus creating a tight ladder.
This chapter was really interesting because it really showed how sometimes small details can mean the difference between success and failure. I really enjoyed reading the experiments of Emilio Segre and Linus Pauling, for they really showed how the science community impacts the work they do. One thing I learned that I didn't know was that a woman helped discover the true structure of DNA. Science sometimes can be a bit patriarchal when it comes to women in science, especially when they do very important discoveries like Rosalind Franklin who helped find the real structure of DNA.
thanks mate
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