Does wearing a beret mean you're a crap scientist?
Dr Chris Busby, principal scientific adviser to the Low Level Radiation Campaign, invariably wears a beret. Some people think the paramilitary connotations undermine his credibility. Perhaps it has deceived The Independent's "science" editor, Steve Connor, into thinking of Busby as merely a green activist (see 8th November article). Busby's cv is on this site. If Steve Connor would care to supply his own, we'll post it as well.
Another scientist with a mission and a hat. The late Linus Pauling, the only man in the world to have won two unshared Nobel Prizes, his biographers say. Two Nobel Prizes by one man in one lifetime! - 1954, for Chemistry, and 1962, for Peace. Linus Pauling was globally admired and globally controversial. In 1958, he presented a petition, which was signed by 11,000 scientists, warning the public about the biological danger of radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons testing.
And composer Olivier Messiaen.
All very interesting people with a mission and a big heart for World Peace. And if you are in need of a handmade 'double' Peace Beret, you know where to find me.
Pauling was a fascinating person. He was the first scientist to discover quite a few things all having to do with structure and shape. He would create models and draw in order to figure out things like why snowflakes are hexagonal despite no two being alike (because it's ice's structure) and sickle cell anemia. He was in a race for figuring out the structure for DNA but lost to two students due to arrogance, dismissal of woman's ideas and by only looking at dead DNA. But, instead of being a jerk about it, he befriended the two students and went full-time peace activist. He is also noted for refusing to be part of the Manhattan project after being asked to join.
ReplyDelete