March 13, 1986
Dear Dr. Nierenberg:
Thank you for agreeing to speak at George Mason University on October 21 at 7:30 pm on "Frontiers of Genetic Engineering". This talk will be one of six in our Fall Lecture Series: "Six Nobel Laureates Look At The Next Fifty Years".
As I mentioned on the phone, the series is being supported by ten area companies, and it will be attended by engineers, scientists and business people, most of whom know little about genetic engineering. A large number of students and faculty should also be present. At this moment, the other five topics and speakers have not yet been finalized, however, I am thinking of the topics listed on the enclosed outline.
In the past the format of these lectures has allowed for an extensive question and answer session, so that with a coffee break in the middle and Q&A the session has typically gone until 9:30. I hope, incidentally, it would be possible for you to join a group of us before your talk for dinner at 6:00 pm. As I mentioned on the phone the stipend for this lecture would be $1,000.
Sincerely yours,
Robert Ehrlich
Six Nobel Laureates Look at the Next 50 Years
Possible lecture topics include:
The Shape of Tomorrow's Technoloqy
extrapolations from today's discoveries in pure science
communications, transportation, new materials
The Future in Health and Medicine
life prolongation
extended mental and physical capabilities
transplants - "bionic" humans?
The Future of Space Exploration and Utilization
commercial utilization
space habitation and colonization
scientific exploration
The Future of Artificial Intelligence Computers, and Neuroscience
understanding the brain
brain - computer interfaces
tomorrow's computers
Frontiers of Physical Science (alternative: Frontiers of Genetic Engineering)
subatomic particle physics
cosmology
grand unification
Beyond Physical Science
holistic views of the universe
nature and origin of life
science, philosophy, and religion