Notebook

Dialectical Materialism in the 1980s Radiobiology's War of Words Exchanges, Acronyms And More PHILOSOPHY, AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN THE SOVIET UNION Loren R. Graham. Columbia University Press, New York, 1987. 565 pp. $45. BY LINDA L. LUBRANO In 1970 Loren R. Graham completed an outstanding work entitled Science and Philosophy in the Soviet Union. Nominated for the National Book Award, it was the first book to explore the close interrelationship between dialectical materialism and the intellectual development of specific fields of scientific research in the Soviet Union. In the new volume, Graham expands and updates the earlier work considerably, providing the same lucid, provocative presentation of a complex and controversial theme. The major premise is that many Soviet scientists subscribe to dialectical materialism as a viable and serious philosophical frame work. Graham argues that scientists such as V.A. Fock and A.T. Oparin were truly committed to dialectical materialism and that this commitment had a positive influence on their work-leading in some cases to international recognition. The commitment for some was so strong and independent of political pressure that they defied or ignored political interpretations they believed were incorrect. The argument that philosophical positions influence the ways in which scientists view the natural world and formulate research questions is generally accepted by historians and sociologists of science. Less popular, however, is the claim that dialectical materialism plays a serious and positive role in the intellectual development of new ideas. Unfortunately, many Western analysts still believe that Soviet philosophy is closed, rigid and restricts scientific discourse. Graham's informed scholarship demonstrates quite the opposite. He documents in considerable detail a dynamic and creative interplay of philosophical insights and scientific experimentation. A variety of interpretations flourish as Soviet scientists discuss their work in physics, biology and human behavior. Graham brings the richness of the debates to life and shows how they influenced the views of foreign scientists as well. He cautions that great harm can occur when centralized political control is wedded to a system of philosophy with claims to universality "[A]mong Soviet scientists and philosophers [however] there never was a single interpretation of Marxist philosophy of science," he writes. The damage to Soviet biology during the Lysenko period resuIted from an abuse of political authority by pseudo-scientists and not from anything inherent in dialectical materialism. The first two chapters provide readers with the necessary historical and philosophical contexts for understanding the specific debates that follow. There are individual chapters on the origin of life, genetics, physiology and psychology, the nature-nurture debate, biology and human beings, cybernetics and computers, chemistry, quantum mechanics, relativity physics, cosmology and cosmogony. In each area of controversy, Graham maintains a balanced and insightful interpretation of historical evidence bringing in his own critical commentary when appropriate. This is an important book for scientists and for observers Soviet philosophy and intellectual history. It helps us understand why there are scientists in the Soviet Union who combine "a dialectical materialist interpretation of nature with normal standards of scientific integrity." Lubrano, a specialist on Soviet science, is a professor in the School of International Service at The American University Washington. DC 20016. The Biological Effects of Low-Level Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. Robin Russell Jones and Richard Southwood, eds. John Wiley&Sons, New York, 1987. 292 pp. $41.95. BY JOHN R. TOTTER The debate over the harmfulness of penetrating radiation is of interest not only to the scientific community but also to the general public. It has affected the development of civilian nuclear energy in many countries; in the United States it has contributed to the moratorium on new nuclear power plants, the consequences of which may have profound effects in the future. In the preface to the published proceedings of the November 1986 Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation conference-held in London and sponsored by the Friends of the Earth, U.K. and Greenpeace International-the editors note their intention "to organize a balanced program which reflected equally the differing scientific viewpoints." Although sharply divergent views are covered, the book does not represent proportionally all scientifically tenable interpretations of the biological effects of radiation. The volume contains papers on ionizing radiation exposure and its consequences primarily in the area of cancer induction. It also provides some discussion of the perception of risk as interpreted by various experts. All but three of the 27 contributors are from the United Kingdom; two are from the United States and one is from Japan. My first reaction after reading the book was that absolutely no progress has been made in radiobiology during the last 15 years; On reflection, I realized my reaction was due in part to the spotty coverage of developments, an inevitable result of a symposium directed mainly to areas in which scientific disagreement has been most visible. The calculated cancer-producing effects reported in the book vary from David Gee's 8,000 person rems per "extra" cancer (the International Commission on Radiological Protection "standard") to Edward Radford's 700-800 person-rem based on bomb survivor data to about 110 person-rem in children as suggested by A.M. Stewart (calculated from London background exposures for nine months in utero). When such scientific disagreement persists for along period of time, it is usually a signal that something is wrong with the theories or assumptions being employed. Unfortunately, the contributors to this volume do not address possible ways to reduce the differences in scientific interpretation of data. Several fundamental assumptions underlying the estimation of risk from low linear energy transfer (LET) whole body ionizing radiation should be challenged; as this symposium report indicates, however, they have not been. Radiation and Health does a good job of summarizing the current impoverished status of the discipline but makes clear that the next symposium on the subject should be designed very differently. Totter, a biochemist, is at the Institute for Energy Analysis, Oak Ridge Associated Universities Oak Ridge, TN 37831. COLLABORATION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY The Science and Engineering Policy Studies Unit of the Royal Society and the Fellowship of Engineering. 6 Canton House Terrace, London SW I Y 5AG 1987. 93 pp. (25&27 pounds. overseas, Including postage and packing.) BY BERNARD DIXON Anyone needing to distinguish labels such as DIANE (Direct In formation Access Network for Europe) from BRIDGE (Biotechnology Research for Innovation Development and Growth in Europe), or to pick their way through the thickets of other Euro-acronyms spawned by the EEC in particular will find this a handy tool. The volume comes from Peter Collins and his SEPSU (Science and Engineering Policy Studies Unit) colleagues, and embraces a surprising amount of other Euro-information. Conceived as a concise guide-primarily for British scientists-to survey the 100 or so schemes that now exist to promote collaboration with 'continental countries in science and technology, the book explains the aims and scope of each R&D program with admirable directness and accuracy. It also provides basic information such as contact names and telephone numbers. For these reasons, it will surely be of value to many scientists (both academic and industrial) and administrators throughout the world. One's astonishment that no one has published anything like this before is matched by admiration for a slickness in presentation that is quite unlike the sort of material that emanates from so many cells of the EEC bureaucracy in Brussels. The guide covers everything from simple bilateral exchanges in Eureka to other major Europe wide exercises, including tables and even a "route map" to assist readers in exploring the ground. It is strongly recommended. Dixon, a microbiologist by training, is European editor of THE SCIENTIST.

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