Joshua Lederberg
The information listed below is current as of the date the transcript was finalized.
Interview Details
Interview Sessions
Abstract of Interview
Joshua Lederberg begins the interview with a discussion of his involvement in the contamination issues of planetary exploration. As interest in space exploration gained momentum, Lederberg was in the midst of discussion regarding protecting the Earth from possible extraterrestrial contamination. Lederberg felt that more emphasis needed to be placed on building a sound space program, one that focused more on planetary research rather than sending humans into space. Lederberg worked to develop alternatives to the “man-in-space” program, focusing on the importance for international cooperation. Lederberg served on several national committees, including the Space Science Board and the Kennedy Health Transition Team. After receiving the Nobel Prize in 1958, Lederberg joined the faculty of Stanford University, where he continued his life-long research in the genetic structure and function in microorganisms. Lederberg continued to be actively involved in artificial intelligence research and in the NASA experimental programs seeking life on Mars. He has also been a consultant on health-related matters for both the U. S. and international communities, serving on the World Health Organization's Advisory Health Research Council. Lederberg wrote his own column on a wide variety of topics, both scientific and non-scientific. Lederberg concludes the interview with a discussion of the environment at Stanford University during the Cold War and thoughts on U. S. defense projects.
Education
Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
---|---|---|---|
1944 | Columbia University | BA | Biology |
1947 | Yale University | PhD | Microbiology |
Professional Experience
US Navy
Columbia University
Yale University
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of California, Berkeley
University of Melbourne
Stanford University School of Medicine
The Rockefeller University
Honors
Year(s) | Award |
---|---|
1957 | National Academy of Sciences |
1958 | Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine |
1960 | Sc. D. (honorary), Yale University |
1961 | Alexander Hamilton Award, Columbia University |
1961 | Wilbur Cross Medal, Yale University |
1961 | Proctor Medal, Sigma Xi |
1967 | Sc. D. (honorary), University of Wisconsin |
1967 | Sc. D. (honorary), Columbia University |
1969 | M.D. (honorary), University of Turin |
1970 | Sc. D. (honorary), Yeshiva University |
1979 | Litt. D (honorary) Jewish Theological Seminary |
1979 | Foreign Member, Royal Academy of Sciences |
1979 | LL. D. (honorary), University of Pennsylvania |
1980 | Honrary Life Member, New York Academy of Sciences |
1981 | Sc. D. (honorary), Rutgers University |
1981 | Honorary Fellow, New York Academy of Medicine |
1982 | Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science |
1982 | Fellow, American Philosophical Society |
1982 | Fellow, American Academy of the Arts and Sciences |
1984 | Sc. D. (honorary), New York University |
1985 | M.D. (honorary), Tufts University |
1988 | Distinguished Service Medal, Columbia University |
1989 | National Medal of Science |
1991 | D.Phil. (honorary), Tel Aviv University |
1993 | Founding Member, Académie Universelle des Cultures |
1995 | Allen Newell Award, Association for Computing Machinery |
1996 | John Stearns Award for Lifetime Achievement, New York Academy of Medicine |
1997 | Mayor's Award in Science and Technology, City of New York |
1997 | Maxwell Finland Award, National Foundation of Infectious Diseases |
1998 | Dr. Mil. Med. (honorary), USUHS |
Table of Contents
Contamination issue. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Quarantine versus sterilization. Fort Detrick. Space Science Board (SSB). Committee on Contamination by Extraterrestrial Exploration (CETEX). Role of biology. Multivator. Space Programs. Man-in-space program. Carl Sagan. Searching for academic support. John F. Kennedy. International cooperation.
Kennedy Health Transition Team. University of Wisconsin Genetics Department. Arthur Kornberg. Winning Nobel Prize. Euphenics. Call for a National Academy of Medicine. Declining service on President's Science Advisory Committee. National Science Foundation (NSF). National Institutes of Health (NIH). Biological and chemical warfare. National security involvement. Committee on Disarmament. Department of Defense. World Health Organization (WHO).
Harriet Zuckerman. Robert K. Merton. Freedom in writing column. Requests for interviews. Choosing column topics. Writing on non-science topics. Salvador E. Luria.
Environment at Stanford University in the 1960s. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Thoughts on Cold War. Student protests at Stanford.