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LAST-MODIFIED:20070925T141030
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ORGANIZER:The Royal Society
DTEND:20071114T200000
UID:2008-09-06T22:04:34-0400_859488329@socialweb1
DESCRIPTION:Most lectures at the Royal Society are presented by scientists 
 and most of them describe what they do. I was no exception until about 20 y
 ears ago\, when I started to focus on the culture and behavior of scientist
 \, in other words on how we do it. Some aspects of that behavior are so tri
 bal in nature that an insider of that tribe is probably the best source to 
 illuminate such idiosyncrasy.
\n
\nThe drive to publish first\, even the or
 der of the authors and the choice of the journal\; the collegiality and the
  brutal competition\; grantsmanship\; the still existing glass ceiling for 
 women\; Schadenfreude\, even Nobel lust - these are the soul and baggage of
  contemporary science. To describe these to a wider public\, including youn
 ger scientists\, I have chosen two smuggling devices for such seemingly eso
 teric topics: the medium of fiction - through a tetralogy of science-in-fic
 tion novels\, where all the science and the scientists' behavior are real o
 r at least plausible\, in contrast to science fiction\, where neither featu
 re is required - and more recently also the theatre. In the process I addre
 ss the question what\, if any\, relation exists between pure research and i
 mpure application or conduct?
\n
\n
\n
\n
\nProfessor Carl Djerassi is one 
 of the few American scientists to have been awarded both the National Medal
  of Science (for the first synthesis of a steroid oral contraceptive - "the
  Pill") and the National Medal of Technology (for promoting new approaches 
 to insect control). A member of the US National Academy of Sciences and the
  American Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as many foreign academies\, 
 Djerassi has received 20 honorary doctorates together with numerous other h
 onors\, such as the first Wolf Prize in Chemistry\, the first Award for the
  Industrial Application of Science from the National Academy of Sciences\, 
 the Erasmus Medal of the Academia Europeae\, the Perkin Medal of the Societ
 y for Chemical Industry\, the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Chemi
 sts\, and the American Chemical Society's highest award\, the Priestley Med
 al.
\n
\n
\nFor the past 20 years\, he has turned to fiction writing\, most
 ly in the genre of "science-in-fiction\," whereby he illustrates\, in the g
 uise of realistic fiction\, the human side of scientists and the personal c
 onflicts faced by scientists in their quest for scientific knowledge\, pers
 onal recognition\, and financial rewards. In addition to his novels\, his m
 ore recent work includes "science-in-theatre" plays\, which have been widel
 y staged in numerous languages around the World.
\n
\nDjerassi is also the 
 founder of the Djerassi Resident Artists Program near Woodside\, California
 \, which provides residencies and studio space for artists in the visual ar
 ts\, literature\, choreography and performing arts\, and music. Over 1500 a
 rtists have passed through that program since its inception in 1982.
\n
\n
SUMMARY:Washing dirty lab coats on the page and the stage
DTSTART:20071114T183000
CREATED:20070925T135003
DTSTAMP:20080906T220434
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