Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg Archive
When an Accomplished Scientist Ceases to Do Research

Starting in the early 1960's, it appears as though Joshua Lederberg became progressively engaged in areas not directly related to microbiology-based genetics. Barbara Bachmann noticed Joshua Lederberg not even being aware of research taking place in his own laboratory! (For details, click Bachmann, Barbara > Wisconsin Strain Lineage Reconstructions at:
     http://www.esthermlederberg.com/EImages/Archive/ArchiveIndex.html .
Click entry number 48 (58-161F+ strains p3.38-2nd). See footnote§ for details.).

During this same time period and beyond (1961 - 1987), Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg continued an active research career, collaborating with Julius Adler, Enrico Calef, Charles Yanofsky, M. Laurance Morse, Dennis Kopecko, Richard Novick, George Jacoby, Bruce Holloway, Herman Kalckar, Mike Yarmolinsky, various Japanese researchers, and others. In scientific correspondence directed towards her (usually in response to one of her letters) through 1966, there is evidence of greetings addressed to Joshua (as a colleague might greet any other colleague's spouse). At times, there is no reference to Joshua at all, and there is no evidence of participation by Joshua in any of the scientific research referred to in these letters. (To view the scientific correspondence between Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg and Enrico Calef, go to http://www.esthermlederberg.com/EImages/Archive/ArchiveIndex.html and click Calef, Enrico. See especially, the entries of October 11, 1961, December 26, 1961 and June 8, 1963.)

Was Joshua Lederberg still actively doing research into the genetics of microorganisms, or was he perhaps too busy with administrative duties? † Thus:

• "Joshua was much involved in administrative work,..." (See the letter from Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg to Bruce A. D. Stocker, dated March 29, 1962, at:
       http://www.esthermlederberg.com/EImages/Archive/ArchiveIndex.html .)
• In scientific correspondence with Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg on June 26, 1961, Kiyoshi Kurahashi said:
  "I went into your [Esther Lederberg's] lab and found that you were not in and Joshua was busy in the committee of outer space problems." (See page 1 of the letter from Kiyoshi Kurahashi to Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg dated June 26, 1961, at:
       http://www.esthermlederberg.com/EImages/Archive/ArchiveIndex.html .)
• Finally, Esther M. Lederberg to Cavalli-Sforza, November 14, 1961, where we find "... J's extensive absences." (See the letter from Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg to Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza dated November 14, 1961, at:
       http://www.esthermlederberg.com/EImages/Archive/ArchiveIndex.html .)

What can account for such observations? The following is the definitive answer, though it is not entirely true.

Bill Hayes said, "I met Joshua on two subsequent occasions, after he had been awarded the Nobel Prize with George Beadle and E. L. Tatum in 1958 and had moved to Stanford University. During an evening at his Stanford home he told me that the Prize had confronted him with a choice, either to continue in active research or to use his prestige to influence the progress of science in broader and more administrative ways, and he thought he would take the latter step but without losing touch with general research." See:
     "A Viewpoint of Aspects of a History of Genetics: an Autobiography", 1985 (pp. 16-26)
(This document is also found at the NLM "Profiles in Science" website for Joshua Lederberg. Search for item bbgbow at http://profiles.NLM.NIH.gov/BB/.)

One can only speculate why Joshua Lederberg chose to withdraw from active "bench research" to engage in administrative duties. Perhaps this was due to the fact that genetics increasingly moved away from microbiology and instead, into "molecular genetics", an area that Joshua Lederberg did not have much experience. A Nobel Prize winner, used to much adulation and being referred to as "the genius", may have feared the possibility of projected embarrassment of public failure: better to simply retire from research?

Indeed, at this time Joshua Lederberg's research seemed to be less focused on bacterial genetics (or any area of science) per se, and increasingly focused upon speculations centered upon "serving mankind" in areas such as sociology and political science. One might be prompted to ask, "In what way is Joshua Lederberg qualified to deal with such subjects?" Joshua Lederberg responds (U. Wisconsin Oral History interview, 1998 p. 52, paragraph 330. (This document is also found at the NLM "Profiles in Science website for Joshua Lederberg. Search for item bbbdhf at http://profiles.NLM.NIH.gov/BB/.)

• "In terms of the effect the Nobel prize had on his career, JL said he did not need it, since his career was going fine. It probably added a little bit to prestige, and it probably did not hurt Stanford in raising funds to support the work he was engaged in. JL notes it probably gave him a standing outside of the immediate scientific area he would not have had otherwise."
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• "There is a certain certification of authority that goes along with the prize. When a Nobel winner talks about scientific topics in public — sometimes quite inappropriately — it is credited with likely being true. The Nobel prize probably drew attention to JL in policy quarters so that he would be consulted or drawn upon in ways he might not otherwise have been. There is also a certain responsibility associated with winning such an award that one must not abuse."
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• "JL notes he does not think the Nobel prize does much for individual scientists in that if it goes to the right people they don’t need it, and if it goes to the wrong people, it is inappropriate." (Note that Joshua Lederberg seems not to be aware of any possible negative psychological effects such as arrogance or hubris, that might be caused by winning the Nobel Prize, an observation that did not escape Esther M. Lederberg.)

Examples of some of the articles authored by Joshua Lederberg at this time included:

• Work on the topic of racism or eugenics. Thus, "Shockley's Accusation of Lysenkoism", by Joshua Lederberg, August 21, 1969 Click here for more information.
• "Metaphysical games: an imaginary lecture on crafting earth's biological future", by Joshua Lederberg, JAMA 2005 Sep 21; 294(11):1415-7.
• "DNA splicing: will fear rob us of its benefits?" by Joshua Lederberg, Prism. 1975 Nov; 3(10):33-7.
• "The genetics of human nature", by Joshua Lederberg, J. Soc Res (New York). 1973 Autumn; 40(3):375-406.
• "Arms Control", by J. Lederberg and S. D. Drell, Science. 1973 Apr 6; 180(4081):9. Notes on the subject: "Notes from ACD lecture by Joshua Lederberg: March 1, 1977", most likely for talks that resulted as an update from this paper may be found by clicking here.
• "Popollution--are we all guilty? The higher and higher wisdom", by Joshua Lederberg, Calif Med. 1970 Dec; 113(6):61-2.
• "A geneticist looks at contraception and abortion", by Joshua Lederberg, Ann Intern Med. 1967 Sep; 67:Suppl 7:25-7.
• Work in "exobiology" or "esobiology" (extraterrestrial life forms). Click here for more information.

The NLM site for Joshua Lederberg has claimed that "... Joshua Lederberg almost single-handedly reshaped the field of bacterial genetics." While this is indisputably false (even ridiculous), very few bacterial geneticists – perhaps none, other than Joshua Lederberg – wrote scientific papers of this calibre, in many cases without any supporting experimental evidence and absolutely no educational qualifications.

As quoted above by Bill Hayes, Joshua Lederberg withdrew from active research (in the sense of no longer being actively engaged in "laboratory bench research"), took place circa 1962-1963 (ie: four years after being awarded the Nobel Prize in 1958). As he grew increasingly distant in time and responsibilities from "bench science", Joshua Lederberg began to be less precise in his representation of his own research, increasingly blurring the research contributions of others and claiming those results as his own research. In effect, he began to appropriate the research of others, including the misappropriation of correspondence. (See Joshua Lederberg's September 17, 1970 response to Esther M. Lederberg's request that he return her correspondence, as well as correspondence with other researchers). For documentary evidence of the progressive revision of the history of science in interviews Joshua Lederberg gave, click here .

For some relevant references to Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg's scientific correspondence during this time period, examine
     http://www.esthermlederberg.com/EImages/Archive/ArchiveIndex.html
and scroll through the correspondence between Esther Lederberg and the different researchers.

†    Esther Lederberg told her second husband that at this time, in a very rare telephone conversation with Joshua Lederberg (by then her former husband), she had asked if [Joshua] missed doing research. Joshua replied that "...[he] was heavily engaged in administrative duties, but that indeed he did miss doing research."

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