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The Man Who Took LSD and Changed The World

Veritasium · documentary · Watch on YouTube

Biology & biotechnologyScientific method & science communication

What it is

Veritasium tells the story of Kary Mullis, the surfer and LSD user who invented PCR and won a Nobel Prize. It explains how PCR works and how it was developed at Cetus.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Recommended as one of the most accessible introductions to PCR and its history.

  • 2 people recommended it
  • 2 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2024, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “It's one of the most accessible videos on PCR I've ever come across”

    Accessible intro to PCR and the history of Kary Mullis.

    wenc, 2024-12 · Strong recommendation · in “Intolerable Genius: Berkeley's Most Controversial Nobel Laureate (2019)”

  2. “for a short video version of this history, see”

    Short video version of the history of PCR's invention.

    fhe, 2025-01 · Recommendation · in “Ask HN: Books about people who did hard things”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: pcr, kary mullis, dna, taq polymerase, nobel prize

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