Eugenics and Genetics 
DISCUSSION 
Crick: I find myself in a difficult position as opener of this 
discussion, because I am not really a biologist—at the most I 
am a molecular biologist—and we are discussing here matters 
which are concerned with biology proper. Howeyer, I shall 
select some general points that seem to me to be of importance. 
I certainly agree with what Dr. Lederberg has said about the 
extraordinary rate of increase in biological knowledge, partic- 
ularly in some fields. What impresses me even more is the great 
lack of biological knowledge among ordinary people: the 
ordinary educated layman, and to some extent among scientists 
other than biologists. I also think it is deplorable that know- 
ledge of natural selection is not taught properly in schools. 
I don’t want to say too much on the detailed points that 
Lederberg raised. I was amused by his dramatic picture of a 
black market in organs; this is a very real possibility which we 
shall have to face. It is difficult for us to see at this stage which 
of the techniques such as transplantation are likely to have a 
large effect: I think they are likely to take us by surprise to some 
extent. As for the impact of molecular biology, I agree with 
Lederberg that the practical possibilities of synthesizing or 
modifying the germinal material are very far in the future. I 
agree too that developments in our knowledge of embryology 
and of the higher nervous system are going to cause the major 
changes in the next few decades. 
I agreed with practically everything Muller said, with a 
few small reservations. Let us take up this whole question of 
eugenics. It is possibly not an acute issue compared with other 
acute issues we have to face. Nevertheless I think that we would 
all agree that on a long-term basis we have to do something— 
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