50 YEARS AGO

The resemblance between the X-ray photographs of B8 and those of tobacco mosaic virus may perhaps appear rather slender. However, the strong similarity between B8 and tobacco mosaic virus protein in other respects (immunochemical cross-reactions, size of the basic chemical unit, and diameter of the rod-shaped particles) makes it very probable that a close structural relationship exists...

If we are right in thinking that the structure of B8 is closely related to that of tobacco mosaic virus protein, then considerable importance must be attached to the reversal of the sign of birefringence in B8. We must conclude that the ribonucleic acid makes a positive contribution to the birefringence of tobacco mosaic virus, and hence that the purine and pyrimidine rings are aligned approximately parallel to the axis of the particle. If the ribonucleic acid in tobacco mosaic virus forms a central core... it follows that its structure must differ considerably from the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid described by Crick and Watson.

Rosalind E. Franklin

From Nature 18 June 1955.

100 YEARS AGO

“The Inheritance of Acquired Characters.” Is the following an instance of such inheritance? Lately I heard a missionary at a May meeting tell of the marvellous facility with which Chinese children memorise whole books of the Bible; the four Gospels, and sometimes the Acts also, being an easy feat for children of ten or twelve years. Having carefully sought information from other authorities, I find these facts confirmed, and that the same applies to Mohammedan children. We are aware that for ages their ancestors have been compelled to memorise long portions of their sacred books, and although occasionally we meet with a child of any nation with a gigantic memory, that differs widely from the case of a people where it has become a general characteristic.

From Nature 15 June 1905.