STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305 © (415) 321-1200

 

August 17, 1971

STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Department of Genetics -

Dr. Eli A. Rubinstein

Assistant Director for Extramural Programs
and Behavioral Sciences

National Institute of Mental Health

Parklawn Building

5600 Fisher's Lane

Rockville, Maryland 20852

Dear Eli,

This is to give you an account of our efforts under NIMH contract
No, HSM-42-70-44 - "Critical Issues in Mental Health and the Behavioral

Sciences".

The principal expenditures under this contract during the past ten
months, amounting to just over $9,000, have been for a part time library
assistant and for additional reference materials intended to help build
a more systematic approach to the study of "technopathy", the conflicts
~and—eattentiens in the interphase between scientific and technological
development -om—tke-ene—hend—ane eial—needs—and—cxpectations—on—the—~<

   

This help has been very valuable in facilitating the crystallization
of my own thoughts on these pervasive problems and I have in the process
been accumulating a large file of source materials which will be of
continuing value in my future analyses of various problems in this general
field. I enclose a number of writings which in tentative form have already
appeared, mainly as articles in The Washington Post, but which I am also

_ revising to become, eventually, part of a much more comprehensive treatment,

Far more important, I have discovered many inherent limitations in
attempting to tackle these large questions primarily as an individual
endeavor and during the time of the contract have led into a process of
more credible scope and multi-disciplinary involvement. This is embodied
in a new program on Sctence, Technology and Society which has been
established at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences and
has now been well launched with substantial support from the National
Science Foundation, Enclosed are also some materials describing the program
and you will receive more as we reach more conclusive decisions about the
style of our operation,

In a very real sense the contract has been a support to the planning
effort for this innovation at the Center. I must say, of course, that there
have also been other important inputs to it from the other participants.

Now that a more coherent style of mutual criticism among a group of
competent scholars has been established, I am more optimistic about the
eventual production of a quality and volume of tangible publications to
justify the NIMH'’s investment in the present contract. Alo this is due
to expire at the end of this month, it will have reverberations for many

. over
LT. J. P. KENNEDY, JR. LABORATORIES FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE, DEDICATED TO RESEARCH IN MENTAL RETARDATION ~~
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY HEREDITY NEUROBIOLOGY DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE
Dr. Eli A. Rubinstein -2-

years to come,

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

Enclosures
JL/rr

8/17/71