J.B.S. Haldane (1892-1964) is widely appreciated as one of the greatest and most influential British scientists of the 20th century, making significant contributions to genetics, physiology, biochemistry, biometry, cosmology, and other sciences. More remarkable, then, is the fact that Haldane had no formal qualification in science. He made frequent appearances in the media, making pronouncements on a variety of poignant topics including mining disasters, meteorites, politics, and the economy, and was a popular scientific essay writer. Haldane also was famed for conducting painful experiments on himself, including several instances in which he permanently injured himself. A staunch Marxist and convert to Hinduism, Haldane lived a diverse, lively and interesting life that is still revered by today's science community. A biography of Haldane has not been attempted since 1968, and that book provided an incomplete account of the man's scientific achievement. "The Life and Works of J.B.S. Haldane" serves to fix this glaring omission, providing a complete biographical sketch written by Krishna Dronamraju, one of the last living men to have worked personally with Haldane. A new genre of biographies of 20th-century scientists has come into being, and thus far works have been written about men like Einstein, Oppenheimer, Bernal, Galton, and many more; the inclusion of Haldane within this genre is an absolute necessity. Dronamraju evaluates Haldane's social and political background, as well as his scientific creativity and accomplishments. Haldane embodies a generation of intellectuals who believed and promoted knowledge for its own sake, and that spirit of scientific curiosity and passion is captured in this biography.
With a foreword by S Zuckerman The First Julian Huxley Memorial Lecture by J Needham Sir Julian Huxley was especially noted for his versatility ? great biologist, first Director-General of UNESCO, Director of the London Zoo, bird watcher, skilled popular writer of science and a tireless champion of wildlife conservation. This book is a biographical account of Huxley as revealed through his own correspondence and the correspondence of his great contemporaries. An introductory biographical summary is followed by his and others' letters and a collection of some of his writings. A complete bibliography of Huxley is included. The book would be of great interest to all biologists, students of the United Nations, historians of science and nature conservationists.
The biological wealth of our planet is represented by the biodiversity that surrounds us. Our future wellbeing depends on the care and conservation that we practice to protect and enhance that biodiversity, which resides mostly in developing countries. Yet, the holders of traditional knowledge remain poor, while those exploiting it commercially become prosperous. As we utilize recombinant DNA technology to achieve food security and other goals, serious apprehension has arisen in the public mind with regard to the impact of genetically modified crops on our environment and health. Similarly, the long-term impact of gene therapy is not known either. These dilemmas and their ethical implications are examined in this book in the context of intellectual property rights and international cooperation.
First published in 1998, this was the first book to present a comprehensive summary of both the global as well as institutional issues which are involved in biotechnology sharing. It covers the controversial subject of intellectual property rights (IPR) and the patenting of new discoveries in genetic knowledge in both agriculture and the human genome. One controversial issue is the creation of public and private DNA sequencing data bases. Of special interest is the sharing of biotechnology between the developed (rich) and developing (poor) nations. A related topic which requires immediate attention is the exploitation of biodiversity in the developing countries and the resulting extinction of rare species. Sharing or transferring biotechnology and its applications between institutions or different countries raises numerous ethical and moral dilemmas. A comprehensive summary of these issues is presented in this book.
The commercialization of biotechnology has resulted in a search for biological resources for the purposes of increasing food productivity, medicinal applications, and energy production. This book discusses the role of biological, ecological, environmental, ethical, and economic issues in the interaction between biotechnology and biodiversity.
With a foreword by S Zuckerman The First Julian Huxley Memorial Lecture by J Needham Sir Julian Huxley was especially noted for his versatility — great biologist, first Director-General of UNESCO, Director of the London Zoo, bird watcher, skilled popular writer of science and a tireless champion of wildlife conservation. This book is a biographical account of Huxley as revealed through his own correspondence and the correspondence of his great contemporaries. An introductory biographical summary is followed by his and others' letters and a collection of some of his writings. A complete bibliography of Huxley is included. The book would be of great interest to all biologists, students of the United Nations, historians of science and nature conservationists.
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