2 
Nevertheless, I have pledged (Science Forum, 58: 12 , 1977) 
not to allow any recombinant DNA work to be done in my 
laboratory. Nor will my grants or my name be cited on any 
papers reporting such work. I have decided on this action 
not because I fear accidental escape of a pathogenic creation 
because I am convinced there is little evidence to support 
such a scenario. (I must say though, that I am astounded 
at the confidence with which microbiologists feel they can 
predict the behavior of newly produced organisms. Surely 
it's the unexpected that we constantly find that make 
experiments worth doing. Furthermore, we ought to temper 
our confidence with the knowledge that time lags of up to 
a generation can occur between cause and effect as was the 
case with DES and vaginal cancer. Similarly, some agents 
have effects that are so subtle, statistically significant 
differences only emerge when millions of people are exposed 
as was shown by the relationship between birth control pills 
and heart problems). 
I will not get involved with recombinant DNA because at 
my age, the doing of science has given me more than I ever 
expected. And I still derive enormous vicarious satisfaction 
with someone's elegant experiments. Thus, I can derive the 
excitement of recombinant DNA. work while still lacking the 
vested interest in the technique that would prevent me from 
entering the discussions more objectively* For it is the 
longterm use to which DNA technology will be put that 
concerns me most and if I were directly involved with the 
work, my perspective would be too restricted to examine the 
broader social possibilities. 
My reasons for this individual moratorium are very- 
personal. I was born in Canada of Canadian parents in 1936. 
On Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. In 
January, 1942, I was sent to a concentration camp for four 
years for committing the crime of having genes that came from 
Japan three generations ago. General DeWitt, the commander 
[Appendix A — 195] 
