Therefore Choose Life: The Found Massey Lectures

by George Wald, Lewis Auerbach (Introduction)

This recently discovered and very timely 1970 Massey Lectures by Nobel Prize-winning scientist George Wald, now in print for the first time ever. Where did we come from, who are we, and what is to become of us ― these questions have never been more urgent. Then, as now, the world is facing major political and social upheaval, from overpopulation to nuclear warfare to environmental degradation and the uses and abuses of technology. Using scientific fact as metaphor, Nobel Prize–winning scientist George Wald meditates on our place, and role, on Earth and in the universe. He urges us to therefore choose life ― to invest in our capabilities as human beings, to heed the warnings of our own self-destruction, and above all to honour our humanity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biology, Science

104 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2017

About the author

George Wald (November 18, 1906 – April 12, 1997) was an American scientist who is best known for his work with pigments in the retina. He won a share of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Haldan Keffer Hartline and Ragnar Granit.

As a postdoctoral researcher, Wald discovered that vitamin A was a component of the retina. His further experiments showed that when the pigment rhodopsin was exposed to light, it yielded the protein opsin and a compound containing vitamin A. This suggested that vitamin A was essential in retinal function.

In the 1950s, Wald and his colleagues used chemical methods to extract pigments from the retina. Then, using a spectrophotometer, they were able to measure the light absorbance of the pigments. Since the absorbance of light by retina pigments corresponds to the wavelengths that best activate photoreceptor cells, this experiment showed the wavelengths that the eye could best detect. However, since rod cells make up most of the retina, what Wald and his colleagues were specifically measuring was the absorbance of rhodopsin, the main photopigment in rods. Later, with a technique called microspectrophotometry, he was able to measure the absorbance directly from cells, rather than from an extract of the pigments. This allowed Wald to determine the absorbance of pigments in the cone cells (Goldstein, 2001).

Wald was born in New York City, the son of Ernestine (Rosenmann) and Isaac Wald. He was a member of the first graduating class of the Brooklyn Technical High School in New York in 1922. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from New York University in 1927 and his PhD in zoology from Columbia University in 1932. After graduating, he received a travel grant from the US National Research Council. Wald used this grant to work in Germany with Otto Heinrich Warburg where he identified vitamin A in the retina. Wald then went on to work in Zurich, Switzerland with the discoverer of vitamin A, Paul Karrer. Wald then worked briefly with Otto Fritz Meyerhof in Heidelberg, Germany, but left Europe for the University of Chicago in 1933 when Adolf Hitler came to power. In 1934, Wald went to Harvard University where he became an instructor, then a professor. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1950 and in 1967 was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries in vision. In 1966 he was awarded the Frederic Ives Medal by the OSA. He was married twice: in 1931 to Frances Kingsley and in 1958 to the biochemist Ruth Hubbard. He had two sons with Kingsley—Michael and David; he and Hubbard had a son—the award-winning musicologist and musician Elijah Wald—and a daughter, Deborah, a prominent family law attorney.

Wald spoke out on many political and social issues and his fame as a Nobel laureate brought national and international attention to his views. He was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War and the nuclear arms race.

Speaking at MIT in 1969 Wald bemoaned that "Our government has become preoccupied with death, with the business of killing and being killed."

In 1980, Wald served as part of Ramsey Clark's delegation to Iran during the Iran hostage crisis.

With a small number of other Nobel laureates, he was invited in 1986 to fly to Moscow to advise Mikhail Gorbachev on a number of environmental questions. While there, he questioned Gorbachev about the arrest, detention and exile to Gorki of Yelena Bonner and her husband, fellow Nobel laureate Andrei Sakharov (Peace, 1975). Wald reported that Gorbachev said he knew nothing about it. Bonner and Sakharov were released shortly thereafter, in December, 1986.

Wald died in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Emanuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alcune lezioni divulgative tenute dall'autore quando sul pianeta eravamo 3,5 miliardi.
Ciò nonostante, sia dal punto di vista prettamente scientifico, soprattutto riguardo la biologia, sia quello più eclettico nei confronti delle problematiche della vita sulla Terra, anche dal punto di vista evoluzionistico, etico, e politico, è ancora estremamente attuale visto che, nel frattempo, la popolazione mondiale è raddoppiata.
Lucidità, ma non solo: capacità di sintetizzare le tappe dell'evoluzione in poche efficaci parole; capacità di porre domande cruciali sul nostro destino di specie in mezzo alle specie; capacità di identificare ciò che è veramente importante per la nostra vita individuale e sociale.

[Mary Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book that everyone should read. Why can't we understand how precious our lives are, how wonderful it is to be made of molecules, to be alive with so much potential? “A better world for fewer children — and to take good care of all of them, much better care than we do now.”

[Dylan Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the manuscript from a series of lectures that George gave as part of the Massey Lectures in 1970. There’s more out there on this, but to start: he was a lecturing professor of biology at Harvard for many years, and seemingly a very interesting person.

I had listened to the first lecture before reading the book, and it was really nice to put a voice to the words in the page. Despite diving pretty deep into biology (and cosmology), this was a really smooth read - I suppose that’s the outcome of a seasoned teacher.

Through 6 parts in the book, starting by looking at the evolution of the universe, through to the creation and evolution of Earth, through to looking at humans, I thought it was a really fascinating read with a strong narrative of optimism for the human race, with another strong hand to push us in the right direction.

This was a neat read, and is a neat listen. Perfect for a cold winter day. 🤙

[Jerry Wall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talks of the ever fleeting now. When we experience an occurrence it is and the next moment it was, there is no possibility of anything lasting or without change.
Also speaks of death from ? saying it is the great opportunity no longer to be. Shakespeare?
How most old face are deeply etched with disappointment.
He likes science as preferable to religion in that it offers no encouragement for belief in immortality.
And no encouragement for belief in a supernatural being who hears and answers prayers.
Science does offer acceptance of truth and proofs.
Author says that of the most influential and interesting people he has known (known of) that they were the freest people who knew and the most childlike.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as interesting as I thought but it definitely explained the beginning of life very well. He presented some thoughts on what was happening then, from 1970, that could eerily be substituted to now. Very perceptive man. Easy read.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. As humane a book as I have encountered in a very long while.

[Ilse Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great lectures, by just being alive we are part of the worlds history and creation.