MEGHANGUINNEE, DEPARTMENT EDITOR un BIOGRAPHY of human consciousness, and much of scientists of the last century and, argu- this work was done at the Salk Institute ably, of all recorded history. l- : Discoverer of the in California. Francis Crick received numerous awards and accolades Genetic Code. By Matt Ridley. 2006. John Z. Kiss including the Nobel Prize in Physiology WLL HarperCollins Publishers. Eminent Departnmentof Botany in 1962 for his contributions toward Lives Series (ISBN 006082333X). 224 Miami University understanding the molecular structure pp. Hardcover. $19.95. OxfordOH of nucleic acids. Francis Crick (1916-2004), [email protected] 0 . a British scientist, along with James Several amazing things stand out Watson, an American, was the first to in the life of Francis Crick. Most impor- suggest a double helix structure for tantly, he was a nonstop conversational- DNA. One of the greatest discoveries ist. Crick was always interested in ideas BIOTECHNOLOGY 0 of the 20th century, the structure of and loved discussing the most current DNA, along with the working out of developments in biology with anyone The Gecko's Foot: Bio-inspiration-

the genetic code, paved the way for who was around and would listen. Engineering New Materials from Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/69/2/120/86042/4452111.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 modern molecular biology. This book Crick was an astonishing hypothesizer Nature. By Peter Forbes. 2006. WW. is an excellent short account of the and had a tremendous ability to put Norton & Co. (ISBN 0393062236). life of Francis Crick that is part of the together seemingly unconnected facts 272 pp. Hardcover. $24.95. "Eminent Lives" series that aims to into a whole or a new hypothesis-this provide brief biographies of major his- ability was the fundamental basis of The gecko has the seemingly magi- torical figures his genius. cal ability to walk upside down as if gravity has no affect on it whatsoever. Crick is in many ways an unlikely One gets a sense of Crick's loqua- Such mysteries of the natural world hero in the history of science. He start- ciousness and his abilities to make a were once considered outside the ed out as a physicist who was one of novel hypothesis by reading the contro- realm of human scientific inquiry-an many to convert to biology after World versial book, the Double Helix, written unknowable other-we haven't dared try War II. His early career was unremark- by in 1968. Watson's to understand, but that has changed. able, and it took him a long time to earn book recounts the long discussions In The Gecko's Foot, Peter Forbes a Ph.D. In fact, he was still working on he and Crick had about the nature of writes: "Creatures that were formerly his doctorate at age 35 when he teamed DNA, and how the two of them devel- thought to be merely cute or weird, up with James Watson in 1951 at the oped their double helix model for the and to be preserved just for their odd- Cavendish Laboratory in England. DNA molecule. ity, turn out to be blueprints for entire After their triumphal break- This book by Matt Ridley also new technologies." From this premise through, Crick went on to make many illustrates that Crick worked best when he takes the reader on a tour through major contributions to biology includ- he had a close colleague or collaborator the fascinating and whimsical world of ing helping to determine the genetic to intensively vet and discuss his ideas. bio-inspiration, stopping along the way code and proposing a model for col- James Watson was first in a series of to give the juicy details of a scientific lagen structure. Amazingly, using logic other eminent scientists that interacted feud (Buckminster Fuller's attempt to without performing experiments, Crick with Crick as a foil, and others included steal the concept of "tensegrity" from helped to determine how information and Christof Koch. Kenneth Snelson) and explain the sci- was transmitted from the four-letter It was in the passionate intellectual ence behind seemingly magical new nucleotide language of DNA to the interaction with others that allowed for technologies (self-cleaning paint, to 20 letter amino acid language of pro- Francis Crick to shine and thrive as a name just one). teins. Later in scientist. life, Crick focused on Forbes give a brief overview of the understanding the neurological basis How would this book be useful technology that now allows us to peer to biology teachers? One suggestion is into the nanoworld, explaining why to use this biography in conjunction it changes things: "Thanks to genetic MEGHAN GUINNEE receivedher Ph.D. in with Watson's book the Double Helix. engineering and a host of new tech- evolutionary the ecologyfrom University This latter book is an easy read and niques, we can now start to unravel of Edinburgh, Scotland. Recently, she usually stimulates discussion among nature's nanoengineering and produce developed biology programmingfor chil- undergraduates about the nature of engineered equivalents for it."At a real- dren and adults at the Buffalo Museunm science and modern scientific research. ly really really small level, it seems, the of Science in Buffalo, NY She currently Ridley's biography of Francis Crick can rules of physics we are used to dealing works as a statistician and consultant be used to provide a complementary with don't quite apply. Often, the rea- for an education evaluation company. and alternate view of some of the same son something works the way it works She has published numerous scientific events. I also believe that both books is contrary to common sense-the research articles, arti- could be used as part of advanced high lotus leaf, for instance, repels dirt not cles, and book reviews, listed at: www. school biology classes, such as AP or because it is very smooth, but because MeghanGuinnee.com. She can be con- honors courses. In any case, students at the nanolevel it is very rough. And tacted at: [email protected]. will get exposure to one of the greatest as we develop new ways to create and

120 THEAMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 69,NO.2, FEBRUARY 2007