DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20330

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

 

November 27, 1979

Professor Joshua Lederberg
Office of the President
Rockefeller University
1230 York Avenue

New York, New York 10021

Dear Dr. Lederberg,

I am writing to follow up on the conversation that Dr. Hans Mark,
Secretary of the Air Force, had with you on simulators and his subsequent
letter to you of October 22, 1979. As Dr. Mark had indicated in his letter,
I am examining the issue of the transfer of information from flight simulators
to actual flying -- what is the fidelity? Are there aspects of vision and
visual patterns that when simulated may eliminate the need to simulate

_ entire visual fields? Are there similar essential auditory and motion cues?
By training I am a neurobiologist, particularly interested in mammalian
and human brain function and hope to bring some of my expertise to bear on
this problem. The project is being studied from a number of aspects; an
important one has been to have discussions with other scientists interested
in simulator problems. I believe that it would be invaluable for me to
have an opportunity to meet you and your colleagues who are interested in
this field. I will be in New York in December for a series of meetings
with Walter Cronkite, Kenneth Clark, Jane Pfeiffer and Carol Bellamy
with the White House Fellows. I will be able to arrange to have Wednesday,
December 19th free, up to mid afternoon. Would it be possible for me to
have an appointment with you and your colleagues at times convenient to
you on that day?

I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Sincerely yours,

\)rcbew. Chal No.

Victoria Chan-Palay, Ph.D. M.D.
White House Fellow
The Pentagon

Associate Professor of Neurobiology (on leave)
Harvard Medical School

Enclosures
Curriculum vitae card
Dr. Mark's ltr, 22 Oct 79