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Man and his future. A Ciba foundation volume

Article · January 1964

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 REVIEWS OF BOOKS
models, and some of the classic originals: two conferences are concerned with highly tech-
selections from Galton, three from Spearman, nical, specialized and fundamental aspects of
an excerpt from Binet and Simon, full repro- medical research, but this is an exception for it
duction of the American Alpha and Beta tests extends into the social, political and ethical
of 1917, and papers by Terman, Gesell, Thur- considerations arising from the pace of bio-
stone, Vernon, Anastasi, Wechsler and Guilford. logical research. Twenty-seven men, each of
Eleven of the selections date from 1950 or later. whom has an internationally established reputa-
Twelve are excerpts from books and the remain- tion in his field, met to read papers and to discuss
der are journal articles. their implications. They spoke freely and did not
There is a variety of topics covered-experi- hesitate to disagree in their search for truth.
ment, survey, factor analysis, nature-nurture The first paper on the evolutionary aspects of
controversy, the effect of age, and some long- man by Sir Julian Huxley and the last paper on
term follow-up studies. But for the most part the the biological possibilities for the human species
selection shows a bias towards psychometrics. in the next 10,000 years by J. B. S. Haldane
While one recognizes the substantial contri- set wide limits, between which there was much
bution in this field made by American psycholo- stimulating and provocative discussion. Some
gists, it is surprising to find that fifty-seven of of the subjects covered were agricultural food
the sixty-six selections are by American problems, world population and resources,
authors. Perhaps there were copyright diffi- reproduction and the sex ratio, the longevity of
culties. The non-American contributors are man and the future of malignant and infectious
Galton (two selections), Spearman (three selec- diseases, the growth of social groups, man and
tions, two of which are from an American machines, the control of behaviour and the
journal), Vernon and Maxwell (both represented future of the mind. Of particular interest to
by papers published in American journals), members of the Eugenics Society were papers on
Binet and Simon from France, and Husen from genetic progress by voluntarily conducted
Sweden. Piaget is not mentioned: presumably germinal choice, eugenics and genetics and the
his work is not considered to fall within the control of reproduction in mammals.
scope of the title. Burt and Hebb also are Uninhibited discussion on these subjects
omitted. Vernon's single article is about the use benefitted from the various religious and ethical
of tests in wartime selection. A two-line reference views held by the scientists present, which
to Russian work by Luria is dated 1936. This judging from the discussion included at least
text is not a source for the study of more recent humanist, Christian, atheist and materialist. The
developments in the "search for intelligence". final discussion on ethical considerations is
But perhaps it is not meant to be. The pleasure particularly valuable in this respect.
in this book is to be got from dipping into the A measure of agreement is evident about the
older papers, noting the shrewdness of observa- dangers in the present situation where the
tion, the occasional naivete of argument, the rapidly increasing rate of scientific investigation
brilliance of invention and the gradual refine- and knowledge is accompanied by comparative
ment of the instruments of measurement and failure of social and political thinking and
analysis of abilities. organization to understand, accept and apply it.
JOHN NISBET There is a useful discussion on the possibilities
of directing further evolution to an increase in
CIBA SYMPOSIUM the average level of intelligence. It is evident,
Wolstenholme, Gordon (Editor). Man and His however, that many speakers recognized that
Future. A Ciba Foundation Volume. London, the bounty of plenty which is promised by
1963. J. and A. Churchill. Pp. vi + 410. Price scientific advance might be blighted by the
25s. misuse of scientific knowledge and power.
THE LATEST SMALL international conference The population explosion is discussed in
sponsored by the CIBA Foundation is fully detail, together with the economic problems and
reported in this intriguing book. Most of these the social difficulties arising from the over-
233
 THE EUGENICS REVIEW
growth of cities. This led to an expression of from the taxonomy of gross morphological
views in the differing economics of East and features to microscopical anatomy, cytology and
West and the need for new thinking along subcellular chemistry, involving almost as many
international and world lines instead of national techniques of study as the number of disciplines.
and individual lines, when science is already In order to avoid complications arising from a
thinking in terms of other planets. wide range of levels of observations and a
CIBA Foundation are to be congratulated for similar range of associated techniques, the
bringing together such a gathering with wide authors have aimed their studies at the building
terms of reference, and for publishing their blocks forming the basis of biological systems.
discussion. Individual papers can be taken out They believe that a study of the development of
of the book and read for their factual value and heterogeneity at the cellular and subcellular levels
creative thinking by a specialist on the frontiers can contribute most to an elucidation ofproblems
of his subject. Taken as a whole, together with at the heart of the nature of biological diversity.
the discussion, the book succeeds in showing the The symposium begins with a study of the
immensely attractive and at the same time fear- origin of organic molecules, as the building
some potentials that biological science offers our blocks, with an examination of features leading
civilization. to a diversification of biological systems.
The conference itself confirmed the difficulty Experimental data is presented to show how
of this problem by the enlightening discussion it organic molecules could have evolved from
engaged upon at one stage, on the chief object inorganic ones by environmentally induced
of life. molecular mutations. Natural selection, during
JOHN HODGES pre-biological evolution, placed restrictions on
biological evolution dependent on the limitations
BIOLOGY of the favoured organic molecules (based on the
Allen, John M. (Editor). The Nature of Biological elements C, N, 0 and H) in the environmental
Diversity. New York and London, 1963. conditions of the earth.
McGraw-Hill. Pp. vii + 304. Price 89s. Then in a paper on photosynthesis, ways are
THIS WORK IS the second reference sympos- considered in which molecules may react to yield
ium, edited by Professor Allen, following a biologically useful energy, in bacteria, algae and
successful series of lectures to the University of higher plants by harnessing the energy of the sun.
Michigan. The papers in the present volume Biochemical studies throughout the range of
continue a sequence of studies on the molecular living things indicate that there is a fundamental
basis of biology, which began in the first series of structure and metabolic ground plan to which
lectures by examining "The Molecular Control all kinds of living things conform. Cell diversity
of Cellular Activity". This was mainly concerned is believed to depend on the production of new
with the biochemistry of the structural basis of varieties of catalytic and structural proteins by
inheritance and the physiology of its genetical selected mutations giving rise to a superstructure
control of cellular activity. consistent with the viability of the primary basic
Again, each paper in the present volume has and fundamental pattern. The role ofthe chromo-
been clearly written by an authority in his, or somes in the origin of specific proteins is dis-
her, field of study, giving well-documented cussed as affecting differences between organisms
reviews of the problems involved. The ten and during the differentiation of cell types within
chapters are well illustrated by means of forty- multicellular organisms.
four photographic plates, many diagrams, Observations on diversity at the subcellular
tables and graphs. There is also a useful subject level are described with the aid of excellent
index of eight pages. electron-microscope photographs. The signifi-
Biological diversity, ranging from micro- cance of variations in a basic architecture,
organisms to the most enormous organisms, common to the cytoplasm of all cells, is discussed.
Sequoia Tree and Whale, has previously been Then experimental evidence from protozoan
studied at many levels of observation, ranging model systems and embryology is presented,
234

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