DNA at 50: History and Memory of Scientific Discovery in a Comparative Context

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Project SummaryDNA at 50:History and Memory of Scientific Discovery in a Comparative Context.This project explores the changing relationship between history and memory, as it pertains to a major scientific discovery - the structure of DNA, in a dual, temporal and spatial, comparative context. First, the project documents, analyzes, and compares the changing memories of the discovery as publicly conveyed at anniversaries of DNA structure over time, i.e. from the small size, science dominated 21st anniversary in 1974, to the medium size, policy dominated 40th anniversary in 1993, and the large scale, global society dominated50th anniversary in 2003. The project seeks to explain the changing memories of this discovery over time, during the last half a century, as a function of: 1) The shifting scientific frontier in molecular biology; 2) The changing interface between science and society as a result of the major social impact of molecular biology's applications in the biotech industry and the Human Genome projects; 3) Cultural change, or a growing sensitivity to issues of gender, race, andpower disparities in both science and society, with special attention given to US, UK, and EU. The intellectual merit of the proposal pertains to its ability to shed light on the complex formation of collective memory in science in the second half of the 20th Century, while further clarifying the relationship between the changing collective memory of the discovery of DNA structure, its history, and the public policy related to DNA research. The project also clarifies the role of scientists, science writers/ educators/ policy analysts, artists, cultural critics, and historians, in shaping how a scientific discovery should be remembered and represented two generations later.The broader impact of the proposal derives from its plan to construct an interactive website, so as to effectively disseminate a comprehensive study of history, memory andcommemorative practices in science, a new topic that illuminates the origins and impact of scientific discoveries at the dawn of the 21st Century. Providing online access to newlyavailable documents, visual/ audio interviews, as well as stimulating public debate on the role of history and memory in science will enable scientists, educators, and policy analysts toenrich their agendas by including lessons from detailed historical case studies.