Kary Mullis won a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1993.

His most famous achievement was the invention of PCR, the method being used around the world to test for Covid-19.

I've been asking myself: what would he think of current events?

It's time for a thread. 👇👇

Please retweet.

In one of life's strange coincidences, Mullis died in August 2019 - just months before the first cases of Covid were allegedly discovered in China.

Since I can't ask him for his latest thoughts, I've read his book, "Dancing Naked in the Mind Field".

Here are the six best bits.

1. The invention of PCR.

The idea for "polymerase chain reaction" came to Mullis while driving at night through the Californian countryside.

With PCR, he could make "as many copies as I wanted of any DNA sequence I chose".

He predicted he would win the Nobel prize for this.

2. Battling with the safety officer.

Mullis invented PCR while working at a biotechnology company called Cetus.

He enjoyed working there, but he hated its embrace of safety culture. He hated the "safety officer" who was given power over him.

He called this man the "danger officer", because "all he ever did was put up DANGER signs".

This man covered up his glass cabinets with warning stickers, making it impossible to see the chemicals inside.

"Overnight, my lab had become a very dangerous place".