TODAY in PHYSICS!!
Born on this day in history: Manfred Eigen, biophysicist and awardee of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Eigen, along with Ronald George Wreyford Norrish and George Porter, were awarded the prize for their work on fast chemical reactions. Eigen and his colleagues studied reactions that took from 1 second to 1 nanosecond -- the time it takes light to travel about 1 foot (source: "Manfred Eigen - biographical." nobelprize.org, accessed May 9, 2013). To do this, they quickly disturbed the chemical system from equilibrium and measured the time it took to relax back. Unlike a classical or "slow" reaction, a fast chemical reaction speeds up with added product at a very nonlinear rate. Recently, reactions have been observed as fast as a femtosecond or 10-15 seconds!Eigen's work helped bridge the gap between classical reaction kinetics and spectroscopy, the molecular study of electron interactions. The work had many biological implications too, including a better understanding of metabolic processes and the development of new medical active ingredients. In order to improve healthcare with his scientific discoveries, Eigen co-founded the drug discovery company Evotec (source: "Manfred Eigen: 1967 - Chemistry." research-in-germany.com, accessed May 9, 2013).
The many awards bestowed upon Manfred Eigen include Honorary Doctorate degrees in Science from Harvard University, Washington University and the University of Chicago, the 1963 Kirkwood Medal, 1965 Harrison Howe Award and the 1967 Linus Pauling Medal from the American Chemical Society, and 7 honorary professorships or memberships of prestigious societies as well as a handful of awards from his native country, Germany.
Today, Eigen is 89 years old and still scientifically active. Besides his yearly travels to Boston to discuss leading biochemical questions, he is a keen amateur musician and enjoys mountaineering during the holidays.
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