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The Resource Making genes, making waves : a social activist in science, Jon Beckwith

Making genes, making waves : a social activist in science, Jon Beckwith

Creator
Summary
In 1969, Jon Beckwith and his colleagues succeeded in isolating a gene from the chromosome of a living organism. Announcing this startling achievement at a press conference, Beckwith took the opportunity to issue a public warning about the dangers of genetic engineering. Jon Beckwith's book, the story of a scientific life on the front line, traces one remarkable man's dual commitment to scientific research and social responsibility over the course of a career spanning most of the postwar history of genetics and molecular biology. A thoroughly engrossing memoir that recounts Beckwith's halting steps toward scientific triumphs--among them, the discovery of the genetic element that turns genes on--as well as his emergence as a world-class political activist, Making Genes, Making Waves is also a compelling history of the major controversies in genetics over the last thirty years. Presenting the science in easily understandable terms, Beckwith describes the dramatic changes that transformed biology between the late 1950s and our day, the growth of the radical science movement in the 1970s, and the personalities involved throughout. He brings to light the differing styles of scientists as well as the different ways in which science is presented within the scientific community and to the public at large. Ranging from the travails of Robert Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb to the Human Genome Project and recent "Science Wars," Beckwith's book provides a sweeping view of science and its social context in the latter half of the twentieth century
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
1 online resource (242 pages)
Contents
  • 1. The Quail Farmer and the Scientist
  • 2. Becoming a Scientist
  • 3. Becoming an Activist
  • 4. On Which Side Are the Angels?
  • 5. The Tarantella of the Living
  • 6. Does Science Take a Back Seat to Politics?
  • 7. Their Own Atomic History
  • 8. The Myth of the Criminal Chromosome
  • 9. It's the Devil in Your DNA
  • 10. I'm Not Very Scary Anymore
  • 11. Story-Telling in Science
  • 12. Geneticists and the Two Cultures
  • 13. The Scientist and the Quail Farmer
Isbn
9780674020672
Instance
Label
Making genes, making waves : a social activist in science
Title
Making genes, making waves
Title remainder
a social activist in science
Statement of responsibility
Jon Beckwith
Creator
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
In 1969, Jon Beckwith and his colleagues succeeded in isolating a gene from the chromosome of a living organism. Announcing this startling achievement at a press conference, Beckwith took the opportunity to issue a public warning about the dangers of genetic engineering. Jon Beckwith's book, the story of a scientific life on the front line, traces one remarkable man's dual commitment to scientific research and social responsibility over the course of a career spanning most of the postwar history of genetics and molecular biology. A thoroughly engrossing memoir that recounts Beckwith's halting steps toward scientific triumphs--among them, the discovery of the genetic element that turns genes on--as well as his emergence as a world-class political activist, Making Genes, Making Waves is also a compelling history of the major controversies in genetics over the last thirty years. Presenting the science in easily understandable terms, Beckwith describes the dramatic changes that transformed biology between the late 1950s and our day, the growth of the radical science movement in the 1970s, and the personalities involved throughout. He brings to light the differing styles of scientists as well as the different ways in which science is presented within the scientific community and to the public at large. Ranging from the travails of Robert Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb to the Human Genome Project and recent "Science Wars," Beckwith's book provides a sweeping view of science and its social context in the latter half of the twentieth century
Member of
Biography type
autobiography
Cataloging source
N$T
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Beckwith, Jonathan R
Dewey number
576.5/092
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
Language note
English
LC call number
QH429.2.B38
LC item number
A3 2002eb
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
  • dictionaries
  • bibliography
NLM call number
  • 2002 M-319
  • WZ 100
NLM item number
B3965m 2002
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Beckwith, Jonathan R
  • Geneticists
  • Political activists
  • Science
  • Beckwith, Jonathan R
  • Genetics
  • Politics
  • United States
  • Beckwith, Jonathan R
  • SCIENCE
  • BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY
  • Geneticists
  • Political activists
  • Science
  • United States
  • Genetica
Label
Making genes, making waves : a social activist in science, Jon Beckwith
Instantiates
Publication
Antecedent source
unknown
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-226) and index
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
multicolored
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
1. The Quail Farmer and the Scientist -- 2. Becoming a Scientist -- 3. Becoming an Activist -- 4. On Which Side Are the Angels? -- 5. The Tarantella of the Living -- 6. Does Science Take a Back Seat to Politics? -- 7. Their Own Atomic History -- 8. The Myth of the Criminal Chromosome -- 9. It's the Devil in Your DNA -- 10. I'm Not Very Scary Anymore -- 11. Story-Telling in Science -- 12. Geneticists and the Two Cultures -- 13. The Scientist and the Quail Farmer
Control code
449885879
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource (242 pages)
File format
unknown
Form of item
online
Isbn
9780674020672
Level of compression
unknown
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Other physical details
illustrations
Quality assurance targets
not applicable
Reformatting quality
unknown
Sound
unknown sound
Specific material designation
remote
System control number
(OCoLC)449885879
Label
Making genes, making waves : a social activist in science, Jon Beckwith
Publication
Antecedent source
unknown
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-226) and index
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
multicolored
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
1. The Quail Farmer and the Scientist -- 2. Becoming a Scientist -- 3. Becoming an Activist -- 4. On Which Side Are the Angels? -- 5. The Tarantella of the Living -- 6. Does Science Take a Back Seat to Politics? -- 7. Their Own Atomic History -- 8. The Myth of the Criminal Chromosome -- 9. It's the Devil in Your DNA -- 10. I'm Not Very Scary Anymore -- 11. Story-Telling in Science -- 12. Geneticists and the Two Cultures -- 13. The Scientist and the Quail Farmer
Control code
449885879
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource (242 pages)
File format
unknown
Form of item
online
Isbn
9780674020672
Level of compression
unknown
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Other physical details
illustrations
Quality assurance targets
not applicable
Reformatting quality
unknown
Sound
unknown sound
Specific material designation
remote
System control number
(OCoLC)449885879

Subject

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      38.710138 -90.311107

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