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Mr-4 .W5S|i»ii*i_—^~,, STORM OVER BIOLOGY on Essays Science, Sentiment, and Public Policy BERNARD DAVIS D. with a Foreword by Edward Shils STORM OVER BIOLOGY In an editorial in a medical journal a few years ago Bernard Davis sharply criticized medical schools for lower- ing standards excessively, at risk to patients' lives, in order to fill minor- ity quotas. The resulting "storm," described here, graphically shows how far our universities have com- promised the ideal of intellectual honesty when it comes into conflict with well-intended public policies. This collection of carefully reasoned essays, reviews, and editorials chron- icles the author's tireless efforts to educate laypersons, and also col- leagues, in this and many other areas where science and truth col- lide with social preconceptions. Though best known as a micro- biologist, Dr. Davis addresses these issues philosophically. He empha- sizes the limits as well as the power of science: its findings are not pre- scriptive, but are nevertheless rele- vant, for questions of moral values. Seeing public opinion strongly influ- enced by ideological attacks on the recognition and the study of human genetic diversity, he presents an opposing view that is widely shared but rarely expressed. His early efforts to combat the hysteria over recombinant bacteria have been am- ply supported by subsequent his- tory, and he is equally tough-minded and insightful in assessing current problems raised by genetic engineer- ing. The unifying theme in these diverse selections is the importance of protecting the objectivity of science from politicization, and of build- ing realistic public policies. [continued on back flap) Storm Over Biology Digitized by the Internet Archive 2012 in http://archive.org/details/stormoverbiologyOOdavi Storm Over Biology Essays on Science, Sentiment, and Public Policy Bernard D. Davis Adele Lehman Professor of Bacterial Physiology, Emeritus Harvard Medical School Prometheus Books Buffalo, New York Published 1986 by Prometheus Books 700 East Amherst Street, Buffalo, New York 14215 Copyright © 1986 by Bernard D. Davis All Rights Reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages for inclusion in a magazine, newpaper, or broadcast. Library of Congress Card Number: 85-63388 ISBN 0-87975-324-2 Printed in the United States of America To my wife, and to a multitude of friends, torn by tensions between the heart and the head