Alternative
paragraph

Belt l-    Immediate draft

   Truly -markable progress has been made in the field of molecular

genetics during the last ten xm or 15 years. The field should continue

to advance rapidly during the forseeable future.

The field of molecular genetics is advancing at an incredibly

rapid rate and tt seems probable that the field will continue to

advance perhaps even more rapidly during the forseeable future.

The new knowledge has had relatively little effect upon man thus

far.

The ft&msI field of molecular genetics has advanced with remarkable

during

rapidity and should continue to do so in the forseeable future. The

Lmediate effect of the kew knowledge is to open up new areas for

exploration so I think it probable that the field will continue to

advance quite rapidly in the forseeable future.

During the 1930s physicists realized that the release of nuclear

energy was theoretically certain, but they doubted whether it would

be of practical intereot.  Because of this uncertainty, physicists

did xmimUx4 little to Inform society,of what might come. When

the power became reality, society was unprepared intellectually

and Institutionally to deal with it.  The scientist therefore must


                                12/S/66


   The field of molscu&sr genetics has edvancad with remarkable


rapmity, due tc) the efforts of Lnvsotigatms in virtually every


FIatI of #MB.  One map speculate about probable future develop-


ments and about how tb new knowledge will affect the eternsl


questions of who we are and where we are going. The phenomenon of



transformation has been studied in considerable detail and it is


clear that cells ten be trrnsfotrrrscd genetically by DNA prepared from



natural sources.  The new information can be inherited by the descendants


uf the recipkent cells.  We know that the machinery af the cell will


accept aid follow instructtons that are written in the appropriate


molecular language.  The langwag& is now deciphered, so in theory, at


least, me can compose new genetic messages of known information content.


Simple genetic messages can be synthesised chemically, largely due to the


pioneterLng studies of Gobind Khorana and his colleagues.


   It seems probable that mechanlems of storing and recalling genetic


fnformation evolved a billion or more years ago, perhaps during the trsnrdtiou


from s cellular to the cellular form of life. Later, as single cells


evolved iato mare cmplex multicellular organism, the. zmrvme eyutem


Belt 1

12/5/68

                 evolved.  Thg%aras my e.t~in ' .-;he
                         t

                                                   : .
                                                , :1 t ,* ",`"x` 4x
information that ultimately gives rise to the w. At this time a

new biological rycle is evolvingifor It should be possible within the

neur future to synthesize genetic messages and then to use them to

program cells.  We know that the gene ultimately cont&$oa the information
                 2&L:: :,.ls \  ; _ :
that is reaponrible for the formatioa of brain.  It deems likely that

man eventually will be able to instruct his own cells, and ultimately,

influence his own biological evolution. One can predict that a new

area of resewch will emerge.during the next 25 years, that of molecular

evolution, in which the effacte of synthegic genes upon the economy of

the cell will be explored in a eystematic fashion.

It seems likely that men eventually bill be able to instruct his

own cellr, and ultimately, influence his own biological evofution. We

are at this point in time the final stages of a new biological cycle is

evolving, a cycle in which the brain, which ultimately is derived from

the gene, will, within a relatively short time, estabfihk direct c-ni-

cation with the gene.