Widely considered the greatest chemist of the 20th century, Linus Pauling was the only person ever to receive two Nobel Prizes in different fields. His myriad of discoveries revolutionized the sciences, while he was also a leading figure in the anti-nuclear movements of the 1950s and '60s. |
Pauling made many important discoveries during his lifetime. Pauling was responsible for figuring out how the chemical bond worked, and helping create the field of molecular medicine, to name just a few of his achievements. He also developed the electronegativity scale. |
The time period in which Pauling lived was one permeated with conflict and uncertainty as the Cold War and the nuclear arms race was going on. Pauling was a major anti-nuclear activist and his actions greatly helped with the creation of the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, a major step towards deescalation of the Cold War. |
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Learning Objectives |
- Build background knowledge of Pauling's life and the historical events that influenced his achievements and actions.
- Develop a fundamental understanding of the science behind Pauling's discoveries.
- Gain a sense of the fearful uncertainty of the early nuclear age, and of Pauling's courage in speaking out against nuclear testing and proliferation.
- Apply the flexible, innovative, and daring thinking exhibited by Pauling to problems encountered in the classroom in and the outside world.