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Image provided by: Suffolk Cooperative Library System
wk CP GP L | P E L I NE $5 How the history of science is interpreted I conmder myself both a geneticist and a hustorian of science. My credentials for both are substantial Most historians of science do not, as I do, come from a sci- ence background as their PhD. They have immersed themselves as scholars, instead. in the fustory of science, a sepa- rate discapline In this sense 1 see myself somrtunes as an outsider to the field of the history of science. 1 have taught a Chautauqgua- NSF three-day course for many years in the summer, occasionally at Stony Brook University, later at the American Museum of Natural History, and fields came together. The people imvolved were trained in different fields. They used different methods to do their work. Yet from 1900 to about 1920 these five fields merged and they began speaking a com mon scientific language wath sumlar interests. Breeding analysis mates up different plant or arumal strum to one anothe; Cytology uses a microscope to study chromosomes Reproductive: bolugy studies how sperm and eggs torm and how they get together. Evolution studies the way species arose. Population genet- ics uses mathematics to fol- more recently at Stony Brook Manhattan. My lat- est venture was titled Is a History of Science Possible? The discussions were lively, and it 1s a unique expenience to teach a class with 15 col- lege professors as your students. Are they ever prepared! They are also not shy in expressing their views Nor am I. We discussed a view ot Thomas Kuhn's that is low genes in a population. The field of classical genetics evolved. incre- mentally, as, bit by bit. pieces from these five dif- ferent fields came together Things that didn't work got dumped. Tweaking was constant over these 20 years. and what emerged was both beautiful in its interdisciplhinary compost non and enormously pre dictive Genes were found to be on chromosomes called a paradigm shift By ELOF CARLSON They could be mapped Briefly. Kuhn argued that New industries arose like Copermicus rearranged the hybnd com production animus and funcufms The sun became that fransténcdpAmeLch of the components of the 4 stor and we agriculture. Evolutionary universe Where the earth f brology could now be stud- was the biggest object. C@arth/ings suddenly ied at a genetic level with the un was now the : ; evolution of chromosomes biggest in our solar sys- felt less important in as well as traits. tem. Where the earth was the scheme of Who did this? Hundreds some flat or immense sta- thi he of scientists, of whom we tionary object, the earth ings when we usually remember a dozen became a third planet jooked up and saw around the sun. The moon was demoted from - Myfads of stars ... being the largest planet or fewer in our textbooks, took part. Science isn't just the work of a solitary genius. Many good scien- (other than the sun) to a satellite of the earth. The sun became a star and we carthlings suddenly felt less important in the scheme of things when we looked up and saw myriads of stars, each potentially like our sun with its own telescopes to give Copernicus new data to support his theory. That is not the way my field of classi- cal genetics came into being. No paradigm shift happened. Five different IN THIS EDITION: Aft EXWIOHS . .. lll lull ill.. B12 w & a & e e e s ov e 6 oe n e e s s a ecs ece 833 CollendGr ............... ..... B26-B29 CW w aie na e e a * ‘QOOUDQhfl'fim mammt ., B20-B24 mm‘fiflw'fi.fl aw # 816 iw'oowemafihmncnm havea ae aa s abe pla 314 Gm.lnpbtdtatrhi Lia 30 % Aa 3m Healthy Ufestyles ............... 8&3“) Ner 82 W*fififiv a v p cs an 4 6 boe sn e® acid! Send your health, business, | calendar and leisure notices to Leisure@tbrnewspapers.com. Sees tists can be more than the match of one great scientist in establish- ing a new field of science. Their names may not endure for more than a genera- tion, but their work lasts as long into the future as we humans use and appreciate Elof Axel Carlson is a distinguished teaching professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Stony Brook University Flu vaccinations Suffolk County has annouced a series of influenza immunication climes for high-risk adults ages 18 and over. There is no charge for Medicare or Medicaid recipients. For all others there is a charge of $35 for the flu vaccine and $47 for the pneumonia vaccine. payable by check or money order. Upcoming clinics include November 5, Family Day. SCCC, Nicolls Road. Selden (696-6900); November 9. 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