This book includes a reprint of a great classic, Daedalus or Science and the Future by J. B. S. Haldane, which caused an instant sensation when it first appeared in 1923 because of its predictions of future scientific developments including 'test-tube' babies. Several eminent scientists, including two Nobel Laureates, comment on its significance today.
Of special interest are discussions on the complex relationship between technology and society by Joshua Lederberg, the contribution of Haldane to enzyme kinetics by Max Perutz, the relevance of Daedalus today by Freeman Dyson and Ernst Mayr, the eugenic views of H. J. Muller and J. B. S. Haldane by Elof Axel Carlson, the influence of Daedalus on the development of human genetics and biomedical ethics by David Weatherall, the future of immunity by N. Avrion Mitchison, and the place of Daedalus in the context of J. B. S. Haldane's life and work by Krishna Dronamraju. It will interest all biologists and social scientists, and anyone interested in the complex relationship between science, technology, and society.
It is unique for its examination of the impact of predictions on the future developments of science and technology and its impact on our ethical outlook.
When J. B. S. Haldane's Daedalus or Science and the Future was first published in 1923, it was greeted by instant controversy due to its predictions of future scientific developments--including "test-tube" babies. Now Haldane's Daedalus Revisited combines a reprint of that classic work together with a discussion by world-renowned scientists (including two Nobel laureates) regarding its relevance today and what it tells us about the complex relationship between technology, society, and politics. Including contributions from Joshua Lederberg, M.F. Perutz, Freeman Dyson and Ernest Mayr, Elof Carlson, David Weatherall, N. Avrion Mitchison, and the editor, Krishna Rao Dronamraju, the book offers a unique, thought-provoking examination of how predictions can have a dramatic impact on the development of science, technology, politics, and our philosophy of ethics in general. All students, teachers, and researchers in the biomedical sciences, ethics, social science, science history, and ethics will want to read this book.
