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CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTRE gU6Z2

(To be at Northwick Park, Harrow, Middlesex)

Telephone: All correspondence to be addressed to:

01-959 3277
CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTRE LABORATORIES,
NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH,
MILL HILL, LONDON, N.W.7,

 

20th October, 1969

Syoace (rl sseee dardncg 4

I am collecting material for a publication on the role of
reason and empirical observation in scientific discovery. My
belief is that the extremists who emphasize the one or the
other are wrong: there is a constant interplay. what I am
trying to do is found out from people who made important dis-
coveries what actually happened.

If you have described anywhere how yours were made, I
should be glad to receive a reprint or reference. Otherwise
I hope you can find a little time - amidst all your activities
- to send me a short account. I have already managed to
assemble quite a good collection of recent examples of import-
ant chance discoveries, including those on immunological
tolerance, the accidental discovery of polynucleotide phosphor-
ylase during the course of work on oxidative phosphorylation,
and the observation that components were still separated on a
starch column when the electric current was accidentally
turned off so that there was no electrophoresis - which led
to Sephadex and other forms of gel filtration. They make an
amusing and instructive group. If you can think of other
examples, please let me know. I can obtain the details from
those involved.

With kind regards,

enhifice Siscer Yom Artal ;
D+ p</ ) _. | jens Kid /

  
  

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A.C.Allison
AUG 2 1974 ———_——
Professor J. Lederberg, JUL - 3
Department of Genetics, UY, &
Stanford University School of Medicine, y

Palo Alto, Calif. 96304,

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