Wolfe Audra J
Hist Stud Nat Sci. 2010 Winter;40(1):48-78. doi: 10.1525/hsns.2010.40.1.48.
The American response to Lysenkoism took place at a crucial moment in the evolving relationship between science and the public. Like many professional scientific organizations in the early Cold War, the Genetics Society of America (GSA) resisted involvement in political issues. In contrast to similar societies in the physical sciences, however, the geneticists' silence cannot be explained solely by the fear of financial or political repercussions. Rather, the GSA's reluctance to engage in political discussion reflected an ongoing debate within the scientific community on the proper role for professional societies in political controversy. Those geneticists who did become embroiled in the controversy did so as individuals rather than as emissaries of the profession. Geneticists H.J. Muller, L.C. Dunn, and Theodosius Dobzhansky attempted to reach the public through a variety of outlets, including books, magazines, newspapers, and the radio, but their interventions were shaped by their individual personal and political commitments. The GSA, in contrast, attempted to combat the spread of Lysenkoism with the help of a public relations firm and a Golden Jubilee celebration of the rediscovery of Mendel's laws. The messy story of the American response to the Lysenko crisis demonstrates the limits of scientists' political involvement during the early Cold War.
美国对李森科主义的回应发生在科学与公众关系不断演变的关键时刻。与冷战初期的许多专业科学组织一样，美国遗传学会（GSA）抵制卷入政治问题。然而，与物理科学领域的类似学会不同，遗传学家的沉默不能仅仅用对经济或政治影响的恐惧来解释。相反，GSA不愿参与政治讨论反映了科学界内部关于专业学会在政治争议中应扮演何种适当角色的持续辩论。那些卷入争议的遗传学家是以个人身份而非作为该专业的代言人这么做的。遗传学家H.J. 穆勒、L.C. 邓恩和西奥多修斯·杜布赞斯基试图通过各种渠道向公众发声，包括书籍、杂志、报纸和广播，但他们的介入受到了各自个人和政治信念的影响。相比之下，GSA试图借助一家公关公司和孟德尔定律重新发现五十周年庆典来抵制李森科主义的传播。美国对李森科危机的回应这一复杂故事表明了冷战初期科学家政治参与的局限性。
