Linus Pauling

Linus Pauling, a name synonymous with scientific genius, was a two-time Nobel laureate, a feat achieved by only a handful of mortals, and uniquely, he managed to do it all by himself, without having to share the glory. His first Nobel Prize was for explaining how atoms decide to hold hands (chemical bonds), and his second was for trying to stop the world from blowing itself up with nuclear weapons. Clearly, he was a man of diverse interests, ranging from the very small to the potentially catastrophic.

Born in Oregon, Pauling's early life saw him dabble in chicken farming before turning his considerable intellect to the more pressing matters of molecular structure and global disarmament. His work shaped our understanding of modern chemistry and biology, making him, quite frankly, a really smart guy who probably made everyone else in the lab feel a bit inadequate.

Despite his prodigious intellect and his unwavering commitment to peace, Pauling's pedigree for inclusion in our hallowed pages hits a rather significant snag. He was, to put it mildly, not Jewish. Not a bit. No secret rabbinical lineage, no whispered tales of shtetl origins, just good old American Protestantism. Which, while perfectly respectable, doesn't exactly scream