S fo = _

September 30, 1960

Or. Lioyd V. Berkner, Chairman

Spece Science Board

President, Associated Universities, inc.
10 Columbus Circle

New York 19, New York

Dear Lloyd:

! can acknowledge the meeting that has been arranged for Sunday evening,
October i6th et the Rockefeller institute to discuss Spece Board problems
In biology. My plane Is due to arrive at about 4:30 and It is therefore
quite likely that | will be juste a little late; f will try to call in to
the Rockefeller institute switchboard if there is any undue delay.
Because | may be a bit late, | think it may be useful for me to communicate
my own reactions to the correspondence between you and Or. Cannon concern-
Ing space biology. in his letter of September 22, of which | have « mimeo-
graphed copy, Or. Cannon put it very well - that | am quite deeply Involved
with exoblology (in addition to ay other academic and research responsibilities)
and have neither the time nor, may | say, the Inclination to become Involved
In other aspects of applied biology. { had thought that the establishment of
our three committees would solve all the problems that Dr. Cannon has In mind,
| myself can see no rationale for an elaborate superstructure of biology,
any more than you have one for the physical sciences and their concern in
space. in any case, | would suggest that exoblology has deeper Interests
in common with the Committees on Planetary Exploration and Chemistry end
Planetary Atmospheres than It does with the principal disciplines for which
the Bloastroneutics Committee had been established orlginally. Let me
summarize my reaction then, that i do not favor the establishment of en
overall life sciences committee; that If one is formed, | would be unable to
accept any additional responsibilities in connection with It; end that fn
any case, exoblology be dissociated from its implied jurisdiction.

Naturally, these are just the questions we are going to be talking
about but i mention them In this letter on the chance that | might be late
end in hopes thet you will not have pre-Judged this position before |
join the group.

Things are Just beginning to move seriously on the experimental side
now, for the development of exobla!l detectors and i'm Just beginning to have
Some confidence that we may be able to have useful experiments ready in time.

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics