Event Description:
The Friends of the American Philosophical Society hosts Robin Wolfe Scheffler (MIT) as he gives a lecture on his recent book, A Contagious Cause: The American Hunt for Cancer Viruses and the Rise of Molecular Medicine.
A Contagious Cause is the first book to trace the century-long hunt for a human cancer virus in America, an effort whose scale exceeded that of the Human Genome Project. The government’s campaign merged the worlds of molecular biology, public health, and military planning in the name of translating laboratory discoveries into useful medical therapies. However, its expansion into biomedical research sparked fierce conflict. Many biologists dismissed the suggestion that research should be planned and the idea of curing cancer by a vaccine or any other means as unrealistic, if not dangerous. Although the American hunt was ultimately fruitless, this effort nonetheless profoundly shaped our understanding of life at its most fundamental levels. A Contagious Cause links laboratory and legislature as has rarely been done before, creating a new chapter in the histories of science and American politics.
Event Speaker:
Robin Wolfe Scheffler is an Associate Professor in the MIT Program on Science, Technology, and Society and was a 2012 American Philosophical Society Research Fellow.
Event Information:
Open to the public. Please visit the event webpage for additional information.
This event is organized by the Friends of the American Philosophical Society.
