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STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER “ j it

DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS

February 1, 1977

 

Mrs. Jeanne Wolf

WPBT

Community Television Foundation of South Florida, Inc.
The James I. Keller Public Telecommunications Center
14901 N.E. 20th Avenue

North Miami, Florida

Dear Mrs. Wolf,

I enjoyed our discussion the other day about the possibility of
developing a program around the origin of life as a theme. It seems to me
this would be an excellent vehicle with which to present both a wide range
of interesting contemporary scientific thought, experimental approaches,
and the still not totally vanquished audacity of scientists about asking
ultimate questions about nature without regard to their pragmatic benefits.
(I must admit even as I dictate those words, I want to refrain from any
dogmatism that understanding the origin of life will not be of substantial
practical benefit).

You asked me to communicate my views on the overall project which I am

happy to do by the present letter. More than many areas of science I think the

origin of life lends itself to the television medium although obviously not

in the sense of being able to furnish pictorial documentation of the actual
. event! I do think that the video-picture is an excellent way to portraé® the o
' dynamic aspects of chemical reaction at one end of the size scale and the cosmic

setting on the other. The basic challenges in this field are also relatively

straight forward and should be easy to comprehend without a great deal of

technical preparation ~- perhaps the opposite would have to be said about the

solutions that we eventually will have to contrive.

So, I am all for such a program in principle. Its materialization in fact
will of course have to depend on the possibility of recruiting a first-class
scientific journalist or journalistically inclined scientist to help function
as a critical funnel in the collection and digestion of ideas in the development
of the program. Besides the people that I mentioned to you before, I think of
Walter Sullivan who did such a splendid job on the somewhat analogous story of
continental drift in his book. He in fact might be a splendid person to consult
about possible resources, not to exclude himself for the purpose I just mentioned.
I would also mention the name of David Perlman of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Did you have a chance to talk to Professor Melvin Calvin of the University
of California during your recent visit? He has been personally interested and
involved in this field, and I believe he may have produced at least an audio-—
cassette if not a small show on the subject with the American Chemical Society.
Another person you might wish to contact is Phil Abelson, who is editor of Science
Magazine in Washington and also an erstwhile investigator in the field.

-2-

DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS, STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305 © (415) 497-5052
Mrs. Jeanne Wolf -2- 2/1/77

As I indicated to you, I would be happy to stay in touch with you on this
project and the limitations of time rather than enthusiasm is the reason that
would keep me from taking a more extensive role.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

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