In less than 48 hours, the newspaper headlines will recognise another batch of prolific personalities who have changed the course of their professional fields. The Nobel Prize Laureates 2020 will be announced October 5 in a virtual ceremony.

Celebrating the highest degree of honour in any professional field, the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Saturday posted about the only person to be awarded two undivided Nobel Prizes, Linus Pauling, on their Instagram.

Linus Pauling, the forefather of quantum mechanics, along with other scientists criticised the use of atomic energy in warfare. Pauling drafted “Hiroshima Appeal”, the concluding document issued after the Fifth World Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs. He criticised several world leaders, who urged to conclude the nuclear test ban treaty.

Pauling understood the development of quantum mechanics and chemistry that he had been studying since 1920s. Infact, as one of the forefathers of chemical engineering, the PhD holder from the California Institute of Technology made contributions in orthomolecular medicine, megavitamin therapy, and dietary supplements. 

Linus Pauling won his first Nobel Prize in 1954, for developing quantum mechanics and later in 1963 after being held in 1962 for his work against use of nuclear weapons.

Considered as the16th most important scientist in history in 2000, Pauling is responsible for 1,200 papers and books, of which about 850 dealt with scientific topics. A 93-year-old Pauling died on August 19,1994 battling prostate cancer.