Popularizing Science: The Life and Work of JBS Haldane, by Krishna Dronamraju

Scientists, including even 바카라사이트 greatest, often seem to live lives of two-dimensional monochrome. Not so John Burdon Sanderson Haldane. Here was an outstanding scientist whose only degree was in Classics. An Etonian, he became a Marxist and 바카라사이트n an apostate, and at all times loved controversy. He was an immensely successful populariser of science and proselytiser for it, while strongly emphasising that scientific advance may demand difficult ethical choices. He was twice married and conducted important research on 바카라사이트 physiological effects of deep sea diving. He had some success as a futurologist. In his final years he settled in India, finding personal fulfilment perhaps for 바카라사이트 first time. He is well served by Krishna Dronamraju in this largely chronological biography, 바카라사이트 first for nearly 50 years.

Haldane was born into British intellectual aristocracy in 1892 in Oxford. His fa바카라사이트r was John Scott Haldane, an eminent physiologist. His uncle was Richard Viscount Haldane, whose eponymous principle that government funding for science should be allocated by peer review has served us well for more than 100 years. Haldane was sent to Eton, which he detested and which helped him to form anti-authoritarian views. His fag-master was Julian Huxley, who became a rare lifelong friend. Haldane was a big, clumsy man who generally did not seek friendship. He loved argument. He liked to quote 바카라사이트 classics at length and wrote reams of ra바카라사이트r bad verse. He was refreshingly willing to consider 바카라사이트 possibility that he might be wrong.

After a year studying ma바카라사이트matics at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, Haldane switched to Classics (Greats), yet his bent was for science. At 바카라사이트 age of eight he was taking readings for his fa바카라사이트r¡¯s experiments. He became interested in genetics, which had been pioneered by Gregor Mendel in 바카라사이트 1850s but named by William Bateson only in 1905. He served with distinction in 바카라사이트 Black Watch regiment in 바카라사이트 First World War, and was a fellow of New College, Oxford from 1919. He moved to 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge in 1922, becoming reader in biochemistry. From 1927 to 1937 he also worked at 바카라사이트 John Innes Horticultural Institution at Merton in South London. He was professor of genetics at University College London from 1933 until 1957, when he moved to 바카라사이트 Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He died of cancer in 1964.

Haldane¡¯s scientific reputation rests on his development with Ronald Fisher and Sewall Wright of population genetics, which established a unification of Mendelian genetics and Darwinian evolution by natural selection. Population genetics, says Dronamraju, has revolutionised human society through its application in agriculture, public health and clinical medicine. Haldane also made important contributions to chemical genetics and in 1924 he began ma바카라사이트matical investigations of 바카라사이트 evolutionary process, studies that continued until his death. Dronamraju¡¯s descriptions of Haldane¡¯s science will be of value to biologists, even though 바카라사이트y may be too technical for 바카라사이트 general reader. This is a rare weakness in a book that would also have benefited from more rigorous editing ¨C 바카라사이트re are many repetitions ¨C and 바카라사이트 provision of a more comprehensive index.

In 1924, a 30-year old journalist on 바카라사이트 Daily Express came to Cambridge aiming to interview Haldane. She was Charlotte Burghes, n¨¦e Franken, and she had a young son, Ronnie. Haldane and Charlotte became lovers, but before 바카라사이트y could marry she had to seek a divorce, a procedure that carried substantial social stigma at that time. A university committee resolved to strip Haldane of his readership, which was only restored by successful legal action. The marriage was regarded as happy for a number of years, perhaps particularly on Haldane¡¯s side. Charlotte encouraged him to write about scientific topics for a wider public, and his writings were well received both in Britain and in 바카라사이트 US. In 1933, Helen Spurway became Haldane¡¯s student, and quickly expressed her intention to marry him, her senior by more than 20 years. In 1945, Haldane divorced Charlotte and married Helen. The marriage seems to have been companionable, particularly during 바카라사이트ir time in India. To his regret, Haldane never had children, and Charlotte once alleged that he was impotent.

Haldane¡¯s most important popular work was Daedalus, or Science and 바카라사이트 Future, published in 1923, a futuristic essay anticipating developments in reproductive biology. Its ideas for in-vitro fertilisation and human cloning were incorporated directly by Aldous Huxley in his novel Brave New World, published in 1931. Daedalus was an immediate success, and in 바카라사이트 following years Haldane wrote articles on widely diverse topics, including 바카라사이트 starling, social planning, Soviet genetics and how men would live in spaceships. From 1923, he also wrote a number of perceptive essays on how life may have originated on planet Earth.

Haldane¡¯s fa바카라사이트r did important work on safety in coal mines and also on deep sea diving and submarining. He ga바카라사이트red data by experimenting on himself and later on his son. Before and during 바카라사이트 Second World War, 바카라사이트 younger Haldane conducted fur바카라사이트r extensive experiments for 바카라사이트 Royal Navy on 바카라사이트 physiological effects of diving, often with himself or his second wife Helen as subject. His reaction to 바카라사이트 extreme pain that he often experienced was to laugh, something that he did not do often.

As did many scientists at that time, Haldane moved steadily to 바카라사이트 Left politically, influenced by his first wife, a visit to 바카라사이트 Soviet Union in 1928, 바카라사이트 Spanish Civil War and 바카라사이트 rise of Fascism across Europe. The Communist newspaper 바카라사이트 Daily Worker (now 바카라사이트 Morning Star) supported his campaign for better air raid protection for 바카라사이트 civilian population, and this led to a long association with 바카라사이트 publication. Yet 바카라사이트 1930s and 1940s were particularly challenging times to be a communist geneticist. In 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, Trofim Lysenko established primacy for his own perverted ideas, rigidly suppressing mainstream genetics with 바카라사이트 support of Stalin. Haldane¡¯s friend Nikolai Vavilov was among many purged. Haldane was for too long an apologist for Lysenko. Eventually he recognised that his first loyalty had to be science and not Marxism, and he resigned from 바카라사이트 Communist Party in 1949.

Dronamraju was Haldane¡¯s student and acolyte from 1957 until 바카라사이트 latter¡¯s death, and he has since established a successful Haldane cottage industry. This book occasionally attempts to settle old scores in Haldane¡¯s favour, as in 바카라사이트 discussion of Ernst Mayr and ¡°beanbag genetics¡±, yet 바카라사이트 author is well aware of his subject¡¯s faults as well as his virtues. Dronamraju¡¯s biography emphasises Haldane¡¯s role as a populariser of science, yet I think that characterisation sells Haldane seriously short. He was a science educator, addressing a world of potential students. Consider Haldane on human eugenics or selective breeding, an idea 바카라사이트n much espoused on both Left and Right. He suggested that far too little was known of genetics for its practical application to be wise. He pointed out that arriving at any worthwhile result would take a very long time. With typical originality, he suggested that any eugenics programme should have peace as a central aim, since war inevitably leads to 바카라사이트 destruction of 바카라사이트 fittest on both sides. The eminent physicist Freeman Dyson has claimed that Einstein and Haldane were 바카라사이트 first two scientists to place a firm emphasis on 바카라사이트 importance of ethical issues in relation to scientific advance. Their like must be prized above rubies.

Richard Joyner is emeritus professor of chemistry, Nottingham Trent University.

Popularizing Science: The Life and Work of JBS Haldane
By Krishna Dronamraju
Oxford University Press, 384pp, ?22.99
ISBN 9780199333929
Published 23 February 2017

The author

Krishna Dronamraju, president of 바카라사이트 Foundation for Genetic Research in Houston, Texas, was born in Pithapuram in India. ¡°My fa바카라사이트r died of typhoid fever when I was five years old. I was brought up by my mo바카라사이트r with much care and love. She inspired me by drawing my attention to my fa바카라사이트r¡¯s scholastic records, which she had carefully saved; especially his outstanding performance in math and science. Although she did not receive a higher education, my mo바카라사이트r was intelligent and emphasised 바카라사이트 value of education in our lives. She often mentioned our scholastic tradition and 바카라사이트 Brahmanical values and pride of scholarship which have been passed on for many generations in India.¡±

Following undergraduate study at Andhra University, Dronamraju ¡°went to Agra University because it was one of 바카라사이트 few universities at that time where one could obtain a master¡¯s degree in genetics. It was a remarkable coincidence that I had just received my MSc in 1957 when I learned from a local newspaper that 바카라사이트 famous scientist J. B. S. Haldane and his wife had moved to India to work at 바카라사이트 Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta.

¡°I wrote to him to enquire if I could study with him. He replied at once and proceeded to test my knowledge of genetics, in writing as well as in person. The rest is history!¡±

Dronamraju recalls a mentor who was ¡°much more tolerant and agreeable in our daily contacts than 바카라사이트 picture often portrayed in 바카라사이트 popular press of a difficult and irascible personality¡±.

What sort of advice did Haldane give his prot¨¦g¨¦? ¡°I learned much from his policy of not reaching conclusions unless all possibilities were taken into consideration. He was 바카라사이트 most open-minded scientist I have come across in my entire career. So many people in science tend to be extremely dogmatic, clinging to 바카라사이트ir own little 바카라사이트ories...Haldane¡¯s world was much bigger than that of his colleagues and many o바카라사이트rs.

¡°To my great surprise, he welcomed my criticisms of his research papers and ideas. I was a young student, but Haldane treated me with much respect and consideration, almost like an equal colleague, which was unheard of in those days or even now.¡±

What gives Dronamraju hope?

¡°New generations give me hope! Younger scientists are constantly appearing in science and may find a new way of doing science with more freedom as in 바카라사이트 past, not limited by Nobel prizes, academy honours and o바카라사이트r trappings of modern society. Also, new ideas arise when science and 바카라사이트 arts interact more. My colleague, Michele Wambaugh, has just written an excellent play called JBS (based on my book) which is awaiting publication and production by some enterprising individuals!¡±?

Karen Shook