Evening star., 1935-03-26

DR.. Raymond Pearl, professor Of
grew some seedlings with . rigidly
controlled food supply.
It was possible to calculate how
large they would grow and how long
they would live.
From some of them he removed a
portion of the food supply. carefully
measured so that he could calculate
how much smaller and shorter lived
they would be than the controls" to
whom the full allotment was given.
But the experiment didn't work out
according to arithmetic. The de-
prived seedlings lived much longer
and grew much larger, relative to the
size and longevity Of the controls,
than the calculations permitted.
The deprivation had removed the
inhibition of some unknown poten-
TALLY in these little plants. There
had been q release Of normally pent-
up energies. So what?
DR.. Pearl described the results Of
this experiment for the first time be-
fore the Washington Academy Of
Sciences the other night as one Of
the factual building stones Of new
biological and sociological philosophy,
the application of which might have
far-reaching consequences for the fu-
ture Of the human race itself. These
seedlings were samples of the living
organism which obeys the same basic
biological laws, whether 1t be fruit
fly or a man. This living organism
has unknown and incalculable po-
tentialities which can be called out
by the necessity Of adjusting to new
environments. The body of the or
ganism cannot be looked upon as q
graduated container, capable of hold
ing just SO much and no more.
SO. speaking from the standpoint Of
the biologist, DR.. Pearl intimated that
the progress Of mankind in the fu-
ture-quite contrary to the postulates
Of most Of the current social and
political philosophies-may well de-
pend upon the removal of inhibitions
and the release Of energies. When
man is called upon to adjust, he
somewhere finds the energies requisite
to do 80. They are in his biological
nature.
Based on this biological experiment,
the social philosophy Of the future
should contemplate greater freedom
for the release Of these energies and
more encouragement for the individual
rather than further RECOMMENDATION OF
the race which tends to act as an
inhibiting factor.
Il \ X
There Is no great need for concern,
DR.. Pearl told the Washington
Academy, over the so-called differen-
tial birth rate by which the sup
posedly less able multiply rapidly while
the economically and socially superior
leave few progeny. so that the families
tend to die out.
This was one of the fetishes OF
nineteenth century biology, when, due
largely to the start given by such
men as Darwin, Weissman and Men
del, great stress was laid on heredity
and very little upon the molding and
energy-releasing effect of environment
on the organism. The future OF man
kind was predicated on misconceptions
of animal breeding experiments. BY
careful selection in cattle or pigs 1t
was possible to create superior types
superior, at least, for the purposes Tor
which man uses cattle and pigs.
These animals might have somewhat
different ideas.
Now, DR.. Pearl pointed out. the only
measure the animal breeder had OF
the success Of his work was "the test
Of progeny" If the progeny OF any
particular pair tended to show superb
ority in some particular character
speed in race horses, milk production
In dairy cows. weight in hogs-the
geneticist knew he was on the right
track.
But this "test Of progeny - not
easily applicable b human he&nu.