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

项目摘要：dna 50周年：比较背景下科学发现的历史和记忆。这个项目探讨了历史和记忆之间不断变化的关系，因为它涉及到一个重大的科学发现——DNA的结构，在双重，时间和空间，比较的背景下。首先，该项目记录、分析和比较了在DNA结构周年纪念日公开传达的关于发现的变化记忆，即从1974年以科学为主导的小规模21周年纪念，到1993年以政策为主导的中型40周年纪念，以及2003年以全球社会为主导的大规模50周年纪念。该项目试图解释在过去的半个世纪里，随着时间的推移，人们对这一发现的记忆是如何变化的，因为：1)分子生物学的科学前沿不断变化；2)由于分子生物学在生物技术产业和人类基因组计划中的应用所带来的重大社会影响，科学与社会之间的界面正在发生变化；3)文化变化，或对科学和社会中的性别、种族和权力差异问题日益敏感，特别关注美国、英国和欧盟。该提案的智力价值在于它能够揭示20世纪下半叶科学集体记忆的复杂形成，同时进一步澄清DNA结构发现的变化的集体记忆，其历史和与DNA研究相关的公共政策之间的关系。该项目还阐明了科学家、科学作家/教育工作者/政策分析师、艺术家、文化评论家和历史学家在塑造如何在两代人之后记住和呈现科学发现方面的作用。该提案的广泛影响源于其计划建立一个互动网站，以有效传播对科学历史、记忆和纪念实践的综合研究，这是一个阐明21世纪初科学发现的起源和影响的新课题。提供在线访问新获得的文件、视频/音频采访，以及激发关于历史和记忆在科学中的作用的公众辩论，将使科学家、教育工作者和政策分析师能够通过包括详细的历史案例研究的经验教训来丰富他们的议程。

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.