Pierre Lecomte du Noüy (20 December 1883 – 22 September 1947) was a French biophysicist and philosopher. He is probably best remembered by scientists for his work on the surface tension, and other properties, of liquids.

Early life and education

Du Noüy was a descendant of the French dramatist Pierre Corneille. His mother, Hermine Lecomte du Noüy, wrote many novels, one of which, Amitié Amoureuse, was translated into 16 languages and ran for 600 editions in France. Born and educated in Paris, France, du Noüy obtained the degrees of LL.B., Ph.B., Sc.B., Ph.D., and Sc.D.

Career

He was an associate member of the Rockefeller Institute working in Alexis Carrel's lab from 1920 through 1928, head for 10 years of the biophysics division of the Pasteur Institute, and the author of some 200 published papers. He invented a tensiometer, a scientific apparatus that used his du Noüy ring method to measure the surface tension of liquids. Du Noüy believed that mankind should have confidence in science, but be aware that we know less about the material world than is commonly believed.

Telefinalism

Du Noüy converted from agnosticism to Christianity. He supported a theistic and teleological interpretation of evolution. In his book Human Destiny he wrote that biological evolution continues to a spiritual and moral plane. Du Noüy met Pierre Teilhard de Chardin who shared similar interests in evolution and spirituality. Du Noüy developed his own hypothesis of orthogenesis known as "telefinalism". According to Du Noüy evolution could not occur by chance alone and that on an average since "the beginning of the world it has followed an ascending path, always oriented in the same direction." He accepted naturalistic evolutionary mechanisms such as mutation and natural selection but believed science could not explain all evolutionary phenomena or the origin of life. According to his telefinalist hypothesis a transcendent cause which he equated with God is directing the evolutionary process. His "telefinalist" hypothesis was criticized by Carl Hempel, Leo Koch and George Gaylord Simpson as nonscientific.

Publications

Quotes