Paul Lauterbur

Today is the birthday of chemist Paul Lauterbur, born in Sidney, Ohio, in 1929. He earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 1962. During his training he became an expert in nuclear magnetic resonance: When exposed to a strong magnetic field, atomic nuclei increase their energy by absorbing radio waves. The nuclei then drop back to a lower energy level and emit radio waves. Lauterbur realized that by introducing gradients in a magnetic field passing through a substance, he could analyze the emitted radio waves and learn about the makeup of the substance. In 1973 he used this technique to create an image that differentiated between ordinary water and heavy water. English physicist Peter Mansfield built on Lauterbur’s work and showed how to conduct fast, precise imaging of internal structure. The result of the two scientists’ work was the noninvasive medical test known as magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI. Lauterbur and Mansfield shared the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Date in History: 6 May 1929