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A
typographical error Hans
Krebs was arguably one of the three
most influential biochemists of the 20th century (along with
Otto
Warburg and Fritz
Lipmann). He is known
for the discovery of the Krebs cycle, the most famous pathway in
biochemistry, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Medicine or
Physiology in 1953. After a stint at Sheffield
On humility, or the lack thereof Otto Warburg was one of the most influential biochemists of the 20th century. He received the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 1931 for his work on respiratory (oxygen-utilizing) proteins. He also performed pioneering studies on carbohydrate metabolism, tumor metabolism, and other subjects. Moreover, several of his trainees later received the Nobel Prize. The following quotation delivered by Warburg provides insight into the character of both Hans Krebs and Warburg. "When Hans Krebs in 1925 appeared at Berlin-Dahlem in the Kaiser-wilhelminstitute of biology, he was a modest thoughtful youth, very intelligent and already wise in spite of his youth. Nearly 40 years later I met him in Dublin at an important meeting. Few scientists were more famous. How civilized he is, I thought, if I compared him, even with myself." Hans Krebs wrote a biography entitled "Otto Warburg: Cell Physiologist, Biochemist, and Eccentric" published by Clarendon Press in 1981. On hemoglobin “Homos
and heteros among the hemos” is a paper published in Science [185
(1974) 905-908] by Reinhold and Ruth Benesch.
This paper compares the properties of homotetramers (β4
and γ4) of hemoglobin with the α2β2
heterotetramer that occurs physiologically. Their
initial title “Gay and Straight Hemoglobin” was not accepted by the
journal.
Forgetfulness Peter Mitchell received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1978) for his contribution to the understanding of biological energy transfer through the formulation of the chemiosmotic theory. Some 10 years after the divorce from his first wife, Eileen, Mitchell attended the wedding of their daughter, and he noticed a woman who looked familiar. He asked whether he knew her, and she replied "Yes, I was your first wife." Mitchell was keenly aware of his forgetfulness; he even coined the expression "forgetory", which is the opposite of memory. Absentmindedness and forgetfulness Norbert Wiener, a noted MIT mathematician, tried to find his way home one evening after he and his family moved to a new home. Accosting a small girl who was approaching in the opposite direction, he inquired whether she might be able to direct him towards Brattle Street. The child giggled "Yes daddy, I'll take you home." Absentmindedness
on a grand scale Nevill
Mott was a distinguished theoretical
physicist best remembered for his contributions to solid-state physics
for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1977. Mott was
traveling on the Paddington to Bristol
train when three thoughts occurred to him. First, he was no longer at
the physics department in On brilliance and native intelligence Isaac Newton described universal gravitation and developed the field of classical mechanics; he also invented the mathematics of calculus. Many consider Newton to be the most influential scientist of all time. Like many other scientists immersed in theory, such people often have practical shortcomings as suggested by the following. The door in Newton's home contained a passageway so that his cat could conveniently come and go as she pleased. After his cat had kittens, Newton had his houseman cut a smaller passageway in the door so that the kittens could also enter and exit at will. On evenhandedness Richard Feynman was a brilliant physicist who could calculate almost anything and possessed great insight into the nature of the universe. However, he could not readily distinguish right from left. He was forced to develop various pneumonics and other memory devises so that he would know which direction was toward the right and which direction was toward the left; he couldn't calculate this from first principles. A witty intellectual high brow After one of Adlai Stevenson’s high-brow speeches, a supporter yelled "You’ll have the vote of every thinking man in America!" Stevenson shouted back "Thank you, but I need a majority to win!" A witty intellectual low brow Dolly Parton was asked whether she had considered the idea of running for President of the United States. She replied, "No. I think we have enough boobs in the White House." A happy supply-sider As Jack Kemp was testifying at a congressional hearing, his wife and daughter watched from the gallery. Someone behind them asked rhetorically "What does a former football player know about economics?" Mrs. Kemp turned around and said, "He was not a football player; he was a quarterback." On verbal clarity, or lack thereof The following quote from Sarah Palin demonstrates the well-honed skills and prowess of the recipient of a BS in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho. "I had great faith that, you know, perhaps when that voter entered that voting booth and closed that curtain that what would kick in for them was, perhaps, a bold step that would have to be taken in casting a vote for us, but having to put a lot of faith in that commitment we tried to articulate that we were the true change agent that would progress this nation." We all know what BS represents. If she had an MS, would we infer that the M refers to moose? You betcha! On
naming an unknown sugar Albert Szent-Györgyi isolated a reducing sugar from paprika, a natural resource for someone of Hungarian descent. He submitted a manuscript to the influential Biochemical Journal that described some of the properties of this sugar whose identity was unclear. He named this sugar ignose ("ose" is a generic suffix meaning sugar while "ignorare" is Latin for not knowing). Arthur Harden, the journal editor and Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 1927, failed to appreciate this terminology and asked Szent-Györgyi to revise the paper. In the revision, Szent-Györgyi renamed the unknown sugar "Godnose." Harden requested yet another revision. Norman Haworth, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1937 along with Szent-Györgyi, finally elucidated the structure of ignose, which is now known as ascorbic acid, or vitamin C. On the origin of life For an account by Efraim Racker, click here. A gift idea for you and your partner If you and your partner are pleased with a Sleep Number Bed, click here for a look at a TwoDaLoo, another item that you can share. A Blue Ridge collaborator The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research has called upon the expertise of Bruce Wayne in solving mysteries of one sort or another on a regular basis. We note that a previous report of his death was in error. We at the Institute appreciate his intellect and expertise in science and technology. Mr. Wayne is currently a denizen of Bat Cave, which is located about 20 miles west of Horse Shoe, the home of the Institute. State Route 64 provides a direct link between Horse Shoe and Bat Cave in Western North Carolina.
On Edward M. Kennedy While working in his first campaign for the Senate in 1962 at age 29, Ted Kennedy was take aback at a rally by a Boston working-class stiff who boldly challenged him for having "never worked a day in your life." When Kennedy sheepishly admitted that it was true that he had never held a real job, the man answered light-heartedly to great laughter, "That's okay kid, you really ain't missed very much." Sydney Brenner on nanobiologists It takes one thousand nanobiologists to make one microbiologist. – Sydney Brenner William Safire's rules for writers William Safire wrote the following rules. Remember to never split an infinitive. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors. Proofread carefully to see if you words out. Avoid clichés like the plague. And don’t overuse exclamation marks!! Other notable quotes and aphorisms The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable. – John Kenneth Galbraith Nudists in Lakeland, Florida are upset that outsiders are sneaking a peek through a hole in their fence. The police promise to look into it. – Paul Harvey A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water. – Eleanor Roosevelt Someday Louisiana is going to get good government, and they ain't gonna like it. – Earl K. Long . |
