Oral history of British science
Perutz, Max (Part 14 of 19). National Life Stories Collection: General
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Type
sound
Duration
00:27:33
Shelf mark
C464/22
Subjects
Molecular Biology
Recording date
2001-06-30, 2001-08-18, 2001-09-15, 2001-10-06, 2001-10-27, 2001-11-29, 2001-12-08
Recording locations
Interviewee's home, Cambridge, UK
Interviewees
Perutz, Max, 1914-2001 (speaker, male)
Interviewers
Thompson, Katherine, (speaker, female)
Abstract
Part 14: MP talks about Watson, why he wanted to join his team and his cooperation with Crick. MP now talks about his 'sideline' interests, e.g. glaciers and explains at length the reasons for'flow' of glaciers. He wanted to measure the vertical velocity of glaciers, started measurements in laboratory cold room and was joined by a physicist who studied 'flow' of metals. They decided on scheme to drill hole in glacier, fill with a steel tube and observe movement of inclination of tube. They chose the Jungfrau glacier, explains difficulty of making hole in ice. In 1948 he got grant from Royal Society for this work. MP now relates story of various mishaps during this venture including skiing and broken legs and blizzards on mountain but eventual success and inclination of tube showed that flow is faster on surface which is the same as in crystalline solids.
Description
Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist and author Max Perutz is interviewed about his life and work. Mentor to James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA, Perutz died before this interview could be completed.
Metadata record:
Perutz, Max (Part 14 of 19). National Life Stories Collection: General
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