Sunday, October 19, 1969 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Five Sundy,-ctobr 1, 199 TE MCHIGN DILY ageFiv The biological revolution and what it means "The Biological Time-Bomb," by Gordon R. Taylor, Thames and Hudson. "The Second Genesis," by Albert Rosenfeld, Prentice Hall. By DANIEL JONES "DEATH IS NATURE'S WAY of telling us to slow down," quip the black humorists. Such comments concerning the rapid pace of modern life seem to be perennial. The acceleration of social change can be seen by comparing two historical developments, the agricultural revolu- tion and the Industrial Revolution. The so-called agricultural revolution blossomed in China and the Middle East thousands of years ago and lasted many centuries. The Industrial Revolution, on the other hand, spread over most of the world in less than two centuries. Despite the difference between the rates of growth of these two revolu- tions, they both had profound and far-reaching effects on human society. During the agricultural revolution man aban- doned hunting and gathering as a way of life and became a planter, herdsman, and builder of magnificent cities. It is during this period that some of our social institutions such as mar- riage, family, and property appear to have evolved. The Industrial Revolution accelerated the aggre- gation of people into cities and brought the mixed blessing of mass production and mass pollution. Sometimes social revolutions have unforeseen con- sequences which threaten the stability and survival of society, such as thefurban overcrowding which followed on the heels of the Industrial Revolution. The message of The Biological Time-Bomb and The Second Genesis is that a biological revolution is iminent if not already upon us. Organ trans- plants and oral contraceptives may be only the beginning of a long series of alterations of the structure and function of the human body. One aspect of modern biology that could lead to increased control over evolution is the deliberate manipulation of genetic change. Present capabili- ties in this area are quite primitive compared to what we may expect in the future. Scientists are already capable of inducing mutations in bacteria with chemicals such as nitrous acid and certain synthetic dyes. Plant and animal breeders have, of course, been directing genetic change by se- lective breeding for some time. Taylor and Rosen- feld foresee the time when our genetic tampering will have become so specific and sophisticated that it will be given names such as "genetic engin- eering" and "genetic surgery." That which is done for fun and profit, however, with germs, hybrid corn, and prize heifers becomes infinitely more complex when applied to people, particularly from the standpoint of social goals. TAYLOR AND ROSENFELD pose many prob- lems concerning the legal, social, and moral con- sequences of the biological revolution. One ex- ample is artifical inovulation, the transfer of one woman's egg cell to another woman's uterus prior to fertilization. The motivation for reproducing in this roundabout way may not be immediately obvious to us. It may, for example, simply become fashionable for some women to bypass the anguish of pregnancy and childbirth by having their ova transferred to other women for conception and gestation. Taylor and Rosenreld anticipate r a d i c a l changes in other widely venerated ideas. The traditional association between sexual activity and reproduction is one example. Both authors feel that the present separation between procreation and recreation will be accelerated as contraceptive measures become cheaper and more convenient. Even the concept of the unique and absolute identity of the individual will be challenged by the new biology. Kidney, lung, and heart trans- plants may be only the beginning. Transsexual operations, the surgical transformation of one sex into the other, have already been performed, usually in deference to the psychiatric welfare of the patient. Taylor anticipates that memory transfer, memory editing, and personality reconstruction will be practical by the end of the century. Rosen- feld foresees brain transplants and even whole head transplants. If these operations become a reality, the concept of absolute individuality will have come to an impasse. The present social sys- tem rests to a large extent on the efforts of acquisitive, status-seeking, power-hungry individ- uals. What place would there be for individual aggrandizement in a world in which the personal- ity could be altered or snuffed out by technical manipulations? Taylor and Rosenfeld clearly have different attitudes and styles. Generally, Taylor is cautious and restrained where Rosenfeld is more buoyant and easily carried away in flights of fantasy. Their feelings toward scientific research contrast strong- ly. Taylor has an essentially Promethean view of science and worries a great deal about the sinister aspects of research, such as the possible unleash- ing of new virulent microorganisms on a defense- less world. He even suggests a moratorium on research the likely consequences of which man would not be able to manage wisely. ROSENFELD, ON THE other hand, sports a glowing confidence in the motivation and judge- ment of scientists and emphasizes the active con- cern of some of them for the social consequences of their discoveries. Hhe goes so far as to suggest that scientific training and analytical thought habits make scientist more qualified than others to handle thorny social problems. While Rosen- fed may admire the objective detachment of scientists on certain issues, there is no reason to believe that scientists are any less compromised than laymen by fame, fortune, and power. An- other subject on whch the authors differs is humanism. Rosenfeld endorses the evolutionary humanism of Lancelot Whyte and Pere du Char- din as a functional basis for the value judgements necessitated by orderly management of the bi- ological revolution. Taylor turns thumbs down on humanism, arguing that biology has uprooted the very definition of man which is vital to humanism. If the demise of individuality comes to pass, it will be difficult indeed to argue with Taylor. Both The Biological Time-Bomb and The Second Genesis offer a mindblowing glimpse into the future. But after the authors preview the dazzling and technical virtuosity of future bi- ologists, some gnawing questions remain. These questions might be epitomized by Julian Huxley's query, "What are people for?" Man's religious, social, and political myths have provided easy answers to these questions, but they may not be sufficient for humane control of the biological revolution. Either man will find a workable solu- tion or society will be torn apart by the strains and excesses of rapid biological change. You won't have to go as far as you thought for your new SAAB because 936 N. Main St. will feature SAAB start- ing October 15, 1969. Drop in and ask fora test flight 936 North Main Sit. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 HOURS: Open 8-6 Mon. & Thurs. till 9 P.M. Sat. 9-2, FSE E Sales only OF SWEDEN booksbooks books lie By LAMIE LIPPINCO shoulda stuck to azz TT A Political Life-The Educa- tion of John V. Lindsay, by Nat Hentoff. Alfred A. Knopf. RIDE WITH Nat Hentoff on his magical mystery tour of the education of the liberals' latest hero, John V. Lindsay. Hentoff's biography appears at a critical time for Lindsay, when voters in New York City are making their final decision whether to give him the man- sion on the East River for an- other four years or whether to elect Mario Procaccino in his place. For this reason too, Hent- off's biographyshould make compelling reading. But Hent - off's description of struggle of this "Puritan" mayor to save the rotting city of New York never really hits home. The trouble with the book is that you never see where the tour is taking you or where you have been-except that it is taking you away from a clear conception of what Lindsay has done for New York, why Lind- say is a Republican, and why Lindsay has antagonized so many people. HENTOFF TALKS to a lot of people. But they are mostly pro-Lindsay people, like Lindsay, his wife Mary, and his staff, Only occasionally do quotations slip in f r o m anti-Lindsay spokesman, such as an inidenti- fied "political technician" from Wagner days. The style is personal jour- nalism at its worst. Hentoff gets bogged down in his conversa- tions. He quotes everything-so much so that the book is a patchwork of conversations in some vaguely chronological se- quence. We do not see the issues of specific events like the transit strike. Hentoff mentions in passing that it happened, and then, later, asks someone hu happens to be interviewing how he thinks Lindsay handled the strike. But in between he re- ports verbatim conversations with Mary Lindsay, and discuss- es such important subjects as (1) both Hentoff and Lind- say's son have the same t o y firetruck (which is pedal oper- ated), (2) the Parks Depart- ment man in spite of Mrs. Lindsay's request would n o t throw out Wagner's "terrible lampshades", and (3) hn thinks it's "sad" that the Lindsay fam- ily has to find excuses for an evening at the theatre. By the time Hentoff gets beyond triv- ia to the transit strike again, you don't know what Hentoff's point is-nor does he. HENTOFF IS RARELY re- porting the news as it happens; he lists events of which we are supposed to have prior and complete knowledge and h a s rambling discussions with peo- ple about them. Even in his final section, his first real attempt to analyze Lindsay's politics, he still plays Boswell, beginning the assess- ment by quoting from the Wall Street Journal. "John Lindsay hasn't lived up to anyone's ex- pectations, but he's done better than anyone expected." Yet amidst this confused re- porting, Hentoff still reveals the arrogance and the honesty of John Lindsay. He is writing at his best when he follows Lind- say on a walking tour through Harlem during the sanitation strike. He shows Lindsay stri- ding alone through the garbage, walking so that he could under- stand his voters, but walking too fast to hear what they were say- ing. But here again, this is not Hentoff's analysis. He is quo- ting the other reporters he is walking with. In his final assessment of Lindsay he is ambivalent. All the way through he is in awe of Lindsay's moral purity. As a Congressmen he shows Lindsay going out on a limb to protect civil liberties. As mayor, Lind- say backs away from political deals, aids minority groups. But he agonizes over Lindsay's more recent - less civil libertarian stance - Lindsay refused to let George Wallace speak in Shea Stadium; Lindsay sponsored a bill which will impose martial law on the city whenever the major thinks "clear and present danger of a riot or other dis- order" may exist. All this "troubles" Hentoff. But because Lindsay is "sincere" Hentoff concludes that Lindsay is the best mayor of New York since La Guardia. He supports Lindsay finally because Lindsay is "trying to do the right thing." Bowling Leagues Being Formed for Wednesday Nights * Fraternities * DormitoriesI " Faculty Teams " Individuals SIGN UP NOW ! SEE GEORGE Michigan Union Bowling Lanes PHONE: 662-2542 The only car in the world made by a manufacturer of advanced jet aircraft When thats r tbis is youve 'unby what it got a company engineers, looks like. But Procaccino aid Marchi are also "trying to do the right thing" or so they say. And Hent- off leaves a lot of important questions unanswered. He does not explain why five top level administrative aides left the Lindsay administration. And he never explains why Lindsay sec- onded Agnew at the Republican National Convention in Miami. He asks Lindsay about it, and Lindsay says he supported Ag- new because he wanted to re- main strong in the Republican party. But in the same breath Lind- say says he knew the party would never choose him for vice- president because of his stand against the Vietnam war, and his desire to uplift the blacks. IIENTOFF DOES not see the contradiction of Lindsay being Republican under these circum- stances. He says Lindsay's pro- Agnew speech semed "sensible.- And in the end, we don't know much more about the enigma John Lindsay than we did when we began, except that Hentoff is confused about him too. Todiy's writers .. . DANIEL JONES is a Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry here at the University and an in- frequent contributor to BOOKS. LANIE LIPPINCOTT is a senior editor of The Daily from New York. She worked for the Lindsay campaign this past summer while vacationing from her Daily post with the New York Times. v V ---- Four-fifths of our management at Hughes-Fullerton are engineers. So we're technically oriented. As the chart shows, 27%. of the staff are assigned engineering or scientific tasks in our field of large information systems. Another 24% have technical support assignments. We're set up so that draftsmen draft; technicians work at lab benches; and engineers engineer. To develop sophisticated information systems, we need a wide range of technical disciplines. This 1968 chart gives some idea of our requirements. One man in five has a Masters or Doctorate in his specialty. Many of our technical staff continue graduate studies under company-sponsored educational programs. Each year, advanced degrees are earned this way. Support for fellowship programs has steadily increased. In 1959, three Ph.D. and 15 M.S. Fellows were supported by Hughes- Fullerton. During the 1969/70 school year, 29 Ph.D. and 50 M.S. Fellows are being supported. "What Do You Mean 'We', Palef ace? 1 'i - I r 2 1 3 .L 4 L7 ~i C t, : 2 1'L 1W :'~2 4, '. , _, ,.a i? ' ._ ,. \ _ye' ;($ ;E- ., ,; ,, ,;:; . -;. 7II2TB1'(BUNY iFOUSE - - WHAT DOYOU W.t \lMEAN W PF4EFAC1~? a' M TII, Current activities include: phased-array frequency-scanning radar svstems; real-time general-purpose computers; real-time programming and systems software; displays; data processing; satellite and surface communications systems; missile systems; and tactical command/control systems. For more information on opportunities at Hughes-Fullerton in Southern California-and to arrange for an interview with Staff