ll. t. Ch . 2 ( 8
MICHAEL POLÁNYI'S EARLY YEARS IN SCIENCE
G b r lló, In t t t f h l ph , n r n A d f S n
h l t r t r n M h l lán ph l ph b n d t l d lán b r ph d n t t x t, nl d nt. ph l ph l t h b l , t h h v n pp r d f r( . Alth h n t n p rt l rl n th f ld f ph l ph f n ( . l z d h r , h ph l ph l t nt n l b t f b , Personal Knowledge(2), h b n tr d b t h d t n n n r , t h f l , n l z d n h rt p p r ll t h rl h l , nd t h n b t nt l b , rl l nd p l t l x t n tr n r nt p r n (4 . t n d r nt b t In 28, M h l ld v r bj t v l . S lán l v n n rl n ph l ph r r n t v n h r th d t r f p p l r r f lán r n n r n n p p r d h tr r l n r t. On h b t th d t n l th th r h nd, h t r n f n n n r . n n n d r h j r tr t d t th G r n f r n 20th nt r ph l h r ( : h tr ll n ...th pr f r r b th f ld f ph , nd th r t nth th h nd n r h ph l ph h h th f t d nt h r th ht r rd n p rt nt. th t b ft d. h r l r p t f l th t th rt ll t r h n t n h th r r l t n h p p n t d v r t l nt. n b f nd b t n r , [ n rl n] th b lán ph l ph nd h l n t th d t f pr h tr pr bl f r th f r. h d t d , th pl d h r h r f t r , r l th th t I n d t t. h t t ll nd p nd nt fr pr v d th v r th n h th r f th r r nd d n t f r n th n . t d b t d ff r nt p r n . h tr t th t th n h In th p p r th n r n r f th j f h l r n f lán n , ll n t l v t f r th r t f h l f . nt f th n n ll b n M h l lán , Biogr. Mem. Fellows . Soc., l z d. h p rt f h r r , 23, 4 448 h n t b n nv t t d. A
40 ll. t. Ch . 2 ( 8
ntr t d th t t n th th t f Hungary(6): lán r r quite unusual. He not nl r t d fr ntr l n r nd G r n , Looking back, I see many Michael Polányis stuck in the mud halfway, my good friends, unknown poor t ttl d n f n ll n M n h t r, En l nd, b t l boys, a dozen of them like me or even better, fired h n d nt f f ld . h h h lb , p r from the university, knocked down by numerus t l rl ft r r d n . G. W ll The World Set Free, clausus. h d pl nt r t d n n , h b ph n. d d d t d th b h f l n h rr d r pt n d n t xpl n h h n n t nt f n n l d ff lt ft r h f th r rl d th, d t t n r th G r n pr f r h " r bb d nd h r l t v f lt th t d ph n ld l h h nd l rt ll t r "( . t h n th rn f r nt f n . t h ttr t n t p p r(8 : n pr v nt d h t n l n n d l pr t , nd In the second semester of my university years, I got h t rn d t ph l h tr nd p t f to the laboratory of Ferenc Tangl who took care of ph . A r p t d, v r f l pr f r, h me from then on. In 1913, I became a medical doc- r t d n r . In 48, h r n d h h r f tor. Thanks to the help of Ignác Pfeiffer, by agreeing ph l h tr n M n h t r nd b pr f to serve as a companion to the son of a wealthy fam- r t l r f l n t th n v r t . ily, I was able to go to Karlsruhe [in the summer of d d n En l nd n 6. A h t, h tl 1912 and again in 1913/14] to study chemistry at the n d n th th r f d rpt n, h n l h r Technical University. t r t f l d, nd r n l , b t h t In th f ll n , I ll tr t d r b th f r t h l f l r r h n r t n n t nd th h f M h l lán h h, n p t f h r t l r r , n f h l r t n ( 0 . f ll d n b ld pr d xtr l d nt t . Ar nd th t n th t r n t d n h th, t b ph l t rn f th nt r , n r t n f t t nd n n ph r nl ft r t bl h n h lf nt t( . t t b rn n n r . h d th r p t n At th f , h bl t h v h l f l n v r f ld h ph l ph , p h l , l b t n f b n ph l ph r nd was dr n p r , nd th n t r l n . A n th r G r t l rl t th ph l ph f n , h r h views d v ( 88 66 , th b l l r t d v r r h v b l . h b v r nfl nt l n f th r d t v tr r th d, Alb rt Sz nt G ör l , p l t l ph l ph , th , nd v n n aes- ( 8 86 , h n th b l pr z f r h th r f thetics nd r l t d . ll l r x d t n nd f r d v r n v t n C, nd lán l n p th fr d n t ph l ph t h b rld f f r th r ntr h tr nt thr h n b r f t . . A b t n t th M nh tt n r j t, n th t d nt h b n t r n th laboratory f r n Sz lárd ( 8 8 64 , E n W n r ( 02 , Ed n l. 2. W th th h lp f I ná f ff r h t d d rd ll r ( 0 , nd hn v n nn ( 0 ph l h tr n K rl r h , b nn n n 2. 3. , h b t f f r b ld n th f r t He bt n d h d t r t n h tr t d p t Un nt l tr n p t r. All nt t h l n n v r t n n th b f h G r n r r h p b r b t t p nt n th r h h r d t n v d l t n . 4. r d t nt t G r d v t G r n r S tz rl nd, h r ft r r th n . . In th r, h l ft f r K rl r h nd n d nt f p t n . v r, th pt th r th n f r rl n t r th r tz b r. h r r t nt t th th n r n nt f n t nd b l l r t n th p th, v nd b r, nd ll b r t d th th r ld ll n n r . t nt rn t n ll l n n p r n , n l nd M h l lán , n f th t nt r t n p r f ff r. n l t n th r r bl r p, b rn n d p t r n n l ( 8 2 , pr f r f ph l n 8 . nt t h h h l n d p t, "G h d h t n l r r p r d t h f ll n " t ll d, f nd d b th f th r f n pr f r f th t . d d n t tt n h h n v r t th r r t r nt nt t, h d r v n Kár án r p l t l p t n b t v r n nt , pr ( 88 6 . Ed rd ll r, h l Kürt (b. r r h r. r n ph l d lt th b 08,l t p r t r ph , Oxf rd , nd th t j t h th r f nt n , th d v l p nt t nd n n t f En l nd, h l Káld r nd f b rd br , n r t f th t rph f h l , nt t th h l( . n t , nd pr bl f t b l . rh p h t p rt nt ll h b l t t r n z t t nd n nt ll t l l t nd x ll n n r r h. ll. t. Ch . 2 ( 8 4 h ld n t f nd p t n n th f lt f d n v t t n r r l t d t th h rdn f t r. f d p t Un v r t , h r d f r d p t t r d t n n l t l th d t r h rdn r n r S h l nd n 8 pp nt d t th h r nd t ft n t r. p bl h d p n r n r f ph l nd p th l n th t h l ft r v t r h n b t bl , f r n p nt, f l t hn l n th t f l b r t r n h f ld, n th , p rt l rl l nd f l. t r h n th f b rt K h nd th n ntz. b d n v r pr bl f l ht n d v ( . Al h d f th d p rt nt f ph l t th d l th h f ff r h d n t t ht lán , th h d t h l f d p t Un v r t nl n 4, lth h v r l t . h r f r t nd, fr lán p nt f h h d r d n th n v r t b nn n n 0 b t v , t p rt nt nt t rr d n 2 h n n n th r d p rt nt( 2 . In 8 6 h r n z d n f ff r h lp d h t K rl r h p n n t n t t t f r n l ph l nd n tr t n, th f r t n lth t d nt. h r h tt nd d r r n th bj t n n r . h n t t t n b n l nt r ph l h tr , l tr h tr , rf nt rn t n ll r n z d r r h nt r h r h tr , nd t l . h l n f r t h l n, En l h, A r n, nd l p n nt t n n h f v r t bj t, ph l h tr . l nd t d r r h. h n n n r t th t t bl h d p rt nt r l t n h p , p rt l rl t . n l nd r t d th n f n f ph l th th t t nd n l h nt t, K r j n , h tr n ph l . pp rt d n f h f r r h l t r ll b r t d th El b th ón , n th r t d nt , G l Gr h, t d h n h d p rt nt n l nd v t d nt. M r v r, v h d h t d t th t r n r S h l nd d h t h lp ft d d n th j n n th n n pt n f h n p pl n l h lf h d d n . h h l l nt , nd lán tr d t d t n n npl v rr d t f h rl t xp r nt th nt t t n. th n h d b n h b t r d t v nd t r t th n t t t , t t t . It ll rld. th r th á zló h t r ( 88 2 , l t r pr It d ff lt t t ll h nd h n f ff r d f r t C lt h. El b th ónd. ( 8 0 8 , th ll nt t th lán . h r r v r p b l t . n n r r h r t O d b r t r ft r th r t, f ff r n n l ll, nd th l tt r h v nd W rld W r, l b n h r r r h r , nt n p n t h b t th xtr l ft d d l t n t n nn t th In t t t für d f r h n . d nt h n d d f r t l tr n n n ph l h h M h l lán rl t xp r t tr . h nd p b l t r pl t d. f ff r ph l h tr . f r t p p r r d t d fr ff r d r l fr p l t l p r t n. Aft r th n l l b r t r t d p t Un v r t , h r h f r t W rld W r, t r v l t n br t n n r l rn d th b t hn f pr xp r nt l nd f ff r t n t v p rt n th nd, th C r . lán h v r l , t ld h v n t n ( 8 . h h lán h d n v r b n r v b n d ff lt t f nd h r , fr tf l l b r t r l t n r , C n t, n r v n l ft t, h l h r n n r . f r t p p r, p bl h d n 0, b r f r d l nt ll t l t d nt r n z t n d lt th pr p rt f br n fl d t n fr ll d G l l C r l . h r t r f th C r l p pl ( . h p p r nt n d r t r nt h br th r, th r n n d n t, K rl lán nd f d n t , rf t n n, nd nd t v t , h n pr t ll ll th n f nt n nt ll t l f th th t lán h d l rn d t b nt t. l t r p t r b r , n l d n Sz lárd nd G r p r fr th l b r t r nt n d r nd r ól ( 88 8 , th f th t n h l t r ph l h tr , p ll ll d h tr ( 4 . nt t St nf rd. f ff r tt nd d th t l t n nd h d r t n b v r fr tf l t h fr t n n nf r t t n . h d n v r d th p nt f v : f r t, th tt nt n h ttr t d fr t f h n bl nt ll t l bj t f th t , h Alb rt E n t n b f h nt rpr t t n f th th rd l h h n d pl n n n r t l f th r d n h lp d h r tl n t b th t , Ern t M h ph l ph , nd nt p r r l h n h lf nt t( nd, h f nd n nt rn t n l nd n t n l p l t . h pr f r f th f h t f l bj t , d rpt n, th th hn l Un v r t , b r f th r n v f h d t r l th n h tr ( 6 . nt nd l t r f th n t v nt, p n th r nt r, I ná f ff r ( 868 4 , b nd d n h t l t n t th n r n r t n. h pr f r f h l t hn l t th hn l t ll h v t n th r p. Of r , th Un v r t f d p t n 2, th r l n d r nl nj t r . n r n ddl l nt ll h f r t tr p t K rl r h . f ff r t n f nt n t l v d n v r ll r l . 42 Bull. Hist. Chem. 2 (1998)
During the first of the two revolutions, the demo- education from his professors. The revolutions, the fail- cratic one, Polányi won high rank in the ministry of ures of the extreme right and the extreme left, molded health. He became state secretary, worked out a way of the philosophical convictions and moral commitments reorganizing the Hungarian health system, and contem- that were characteristic of Michael Polányi's thinking plated giving up his scientific ambitions for a political throughout his life. career. When the Communists came to power, he gave up his position and went to teach in Hevesy's depart- ment. Pfeiffer, however, took on an important position E E E CES A O ES during the second, the Communist revolution, becom- 1. One r nt v l b d n l z n h ph l ph , ing head of a section in charge of chemistry. nt n d t l d b bl r ph f lán r . S Both men changed careers after the revolutions. The . r h, Michael Polányi. A Critical Exposition, Un new rightist regime forced Pfeiffer to retire from his v r t f Y r r , Alb n , Y, I 86. university department. He was offered the position of 2. M. lán , Personal Knowledge, Un v r t f Ch head of the newly established private research labora- r , Ch , I , 8. tory of the United Lamp factory. He proceeded to orga- . h t nf r t v b r ph l t h E. . W n r nize the laboratory which became highly successful in nd .A. d n, "M h l lán ," Biogr. Mem. developing the krypton bulb as well as in some basic Fellows R. Soc., , 2 , 4 448. research in experimental physics(19). 4. S . C n d n, "M h l lán nd th r n f Polányi was terminated by the university because th Int ll t l ," Currents in Modern Thought, 8 , 62 6 . of his Jewish origin and democratic views, as can be . M. lán , Pesti Futár, 28, 21, 8. concluded from a letter Hevesy wrote to Niels Bohr. 6. Ibid. Numerus Clausus l p d r ht ft r th Although he did not mention Polányi by name, he said f r t W rld W r l t n th n b r f h t d nt that his two excellent assistants were ousted for the above d tt d t th n v r t . M n n p pl mentioned reasons(20). Hevesy lost not only his pro- b fr th b ttl f ld nt nd n t b n r nt n fessorship but also his right to lecture at the university th r t d nd th n v r t h d n ff nt p where he had been Privatdozent since 1913. He left nd t ff t h ndl th . t n t d f l t n t Hungary for Copenhagen where Bohr gave him a posi- d nt n th b f r t, h h ld h v f v r d tion in his newly established institute, which soon be- h t d nt , th d thn nd r l r t r l n th t h t d nt r " v r r pr nt d." came the famous Copenhagen school of quantum phys- A t f h t d nt pr d t r n d. A n ics. Thus a potentially superb scientific center in n , n ft d n p pl r f r d t t Budapest was dissolved because of narrow-minded right t nd n v r t t d n r . wing politics(21). 7. Ibid. Pfeiffer, of course, was aware of Polányi's abilities 8. Ibid. and employed him as a consultant while he was living . I. K , A Trefort utcai "Minta" az ELITE Ságvári Endre abroad. It became a long lasting relationship, quite ad- Gvakorlóiskola története ( h t r f r f rt Str t vantageous also for Polányi who earned only a meager "M nt ", th S v r Endr r t S h l f E tv salary in Germany. This relationship persisted after r nd Un v r t , d p t, 8 . Pfeiffer's retirement, during Polányi's Manchester pe- 0. h f ld r ph z d b h n, hn C. riod. lán , nn r f th 86 b l pr z n h tr : .C. lán , "An Ind x t M h l lán C ntr b But this is another story; it does not belong to t n t S n " n The Logic of Personal Knowledge, Polányi's early schools in Hungary. It belongs to his tl d nd K n, nd n, 6 , p. . period of world success which was a result of his Hun- , Or l t r Int rv , 62. " t r l S r f garian schooling. By that time Polányi had become a Q nt h ," Un v r t f C l f rn , r l , leading personality in his field and had trained many Off f r t r f S n nd hn l . significant chemists. Two Nobel laureates belong to the 2. . r z , " n l r n ," Emlékbeszédek az MTA tagjai wide circle of his students: Eugene Wigner and Melvin fölött ( r ph l M r f M b r f th n Calvin. His Hungarian schooling also contributed to his r n A d f S n , d p t, 24, pp. l 4. . M. lán , Magyar ord. Archiv. N.E, 11, success. Besides gaining a colorful, rich culture from 0, p. 6. 4. M. l n , "Inv t t n f th h l nd Ch his family, from high school, and from the lively intel- l Ch n f l d S r d r n St rv t n," lectual life of Budapest [see Paul Ignotus, "The Hun- Biochem. ., , 34, 2 M. l n nd . r n, gary of Michael Polanyi" ](22), he also gained a good "On th Appl t n f th S nd f h r d ll. t. Ch . 2 ( 8 4
namics to Processes in the Animal Organism," ibid., A dé K d, d p t, 88 " r ph nd r 1913, 53, 1. j t r : h W r f n r n h S nt t " n 15. J. Wakeman, Ed., "Michael Polányi," World Authors Y. b n nd I. b n n Ed., The Interaction of Sci- 1950-1970, Wilson, London, 1970, p. 115I-53. entific and Jewish Cultures in ModernTimes, h Éd n 16. M. Polányi, "Gáwk (gðzök) absorptiója szilárd, nem M ll n r , t n, Q n t n, O p t r UK Wan() adszorbensen"(Adsorption of Gases by a Solid No-volatile Adsorbent), Ph.D. Thesis, , pp. 6 8 . Budapest, 1917. r d t l b t n r n ré nt t see 17. L. Móra, Pfeiffer Ignác, Budapest, I977. W. O. M C , Jewish Nobles and Geniuses in Modern 18. Ibid. Hungary, C l b Un v r t r , Y r , 2 19. Ibid. W. n tt , Genius in the Shadows, Un v r t f 20. Hevesy to Bohr, October 25, 1919, Historical Sources Ch r , Ch , I , 4 . h d , The of Quantum Physics(See Ref. 11). Making of the Atomic Bomb, S n nd S h t r, 21. See G. Pall& "Why did George von Hevesy Leave Hun- Y r , 86. gary?" Periodica Polytechnica, 1986, 30, 97. M n t d h v v r d th bj t f nt f 22. Ref. 10, pp. 131-143. r t n th h n t p f ll th n r n n . S . d r, "Al r nd Opp rt n t : E r t n f E O E: An rl v r n f th p p r pr M th t n nd h t t r t n nd th Un t d nt d n th "M n r l nt r" Int rn t n l C nf r n St t ," Hist. Stud. of Phys. and Biol. Sci., 1984, 15, n th t r f Ch tr nd Ch l Ind tr , 0 6 . h, "M r t n nd th G n r t n f zpré , n r , A t 2 6, , nd p b S nt f Id ," Minerva, 1987, 20 2 . l h d n l t d d t n f th nf r n pr d n p r t f Technikatörteneti Sz l A OU E AU O I , 2, 8 . I n d n j r pr j t n th r t n G b r ll S nt f r t r n th In t t t f h f nt t fr n r . S : G. lló, " n r n l ph f th n r n A d f S n , O S nt t r t St p f E r t n: fr th n r 4, 8 d p t 62. f ld th 20th nt r n r ph r t th C nt r," Periodica Polytechnica, h t r f n n n r th p l r rd t sci- 1990, 4, 2 n r n S nd St p f E entific r t n nd t n nd r t t l t r n . r t n", ibid., , 35, 8 86 " lán M hál d h rt l nd nf r n p p r , h p bl h d pál álj " (M h l lán r r n E. nd G. b n th r pt n f d rn tr t r l n pt Ujl , Ed., Polányi Mihály filozofiai irásai (M h l n n r n n : Radioaktivitás es a kémiai l n ph l ph l r t n , Atl nt z, d p t, atomelmélet ( d t v t nd th Ch l h r f 2, pp. 20 2 " v n n r " n G. M rx, At , A dé K dó, d p t, 2. Ed., George de Hevesy (1885-1966) t hr ft,
CU E WO K I E IS O Y O ME ICI E
h rt rl nt rn t n l b bl r ph , p bl h d b th W ll In t t t f r th t r f M d n , bl nl n , h v n b n pr d d l tr n ll n Apr l . r nt rn r th ddr wihm.ucl.ac.uk. M r d t l r v l bl fr W ll In t. t. M d., 8 E t n d, nd n W 2 E A : 0 6 8 4 . C nt t th r C th r ll ( .d r l ll . . r K th h p ( .b h p ll . .