PREFACE 



This volume was prepared from the transcript of an informal conference 

 held in Highland Park, Illinois, May 7-9, 1953. The participants speculated free- 

 ly and subjected their ideas to the give and take of a lively discussion, and many 

 of the ideas put forth will undoubtedly require considerable modification in retro- 

 spect. It is our hope that the reader of this volume may be able to gain some in- 

 sight into the ways in which at least a small group of scientists are thinking about 

 current problems in the basic physical and chemical phenomena responsible for 

 radiobiological effects. 



The work of the participants, as well as that of many investigators not 

 present, was quoted freely, whether available in published form or not. It must 

 be emphasized, therefore, that no material in this report should be referred to 

 without specific permission of, or consultation with, the authors quoted. 



Each chapter consists of a discussion prefaced by a more or less formal 

 review of salient facts and ideas, centering around a particular topic and presented 

 by a principal essayist. These discussions are interspersed and followed by in- 

 formal comments from all participants. 



A bibliography is provided at the end of each chapter which, although in- 

 complete, should be adequate to enable the reader to pursue further any topic in 

 which his interest is aroused. 



The transcript, as originally prepared, required considerable editing 

 in the interests of coherence. Despite the heroic efforts of the stenotypist, a 

 large number of unintelligible colloquies were found. The deletion of such sec- 

 tions, coupled with the necessity of achieving continuity where none existed, has 

 resulted in a regretable loss of some of the original flavor of the meeting. Nev- 

 ertheless, we hope that an adequate compromise between historical accuracy 

 and intelligibility has been achieved. 



Finally, we should like to thank the many who have helped prepare this 

 report, and particularly the participants in the Conference, and Mrs. Antreen 

 Pfau who prepared the subject index for this volume. One of us (J. L.M.) would 

 like especially to thank his wife and Prof. Milton Burton. 



John L. Magee, Chairman 



Martin Kamen 



Robert L. Platzman 



