Evening star., 1938-07-23
OF STARS,
MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Proaress
lin Field, Laboratory
and Study.
D.,
By THOMAS X. HENRY.

By THOMAS r. HENRY.
Breeding Of the "superhuman" is i'm
possible-biologically and mathematic-
ally.
This Is one point stressed in the
genetics section Of the report to the
President on population problems in the
United States by the National Re-
sources Committee.
1t is impossible to look for super race
in this direction, the report prepared by
well known geneticists points out, be-
cause of the very nature of human in
heritance. It is not passed on in single
units, but in packages of units.
An example Is stature. It Is basically
determined by inheritance, although it
may be greatly affected by environment.
But, everything else being equal, the
son of tall parents will be taller than
the son of short parents. But no parent
passes along stature to son or daugh-
ter in single gene. There are four or
five interacting key genes which must
cooperate perfectly in influencing 9TH
er mechanisms of growth. The possi-
bility of bringing about change in one
gene Is remote. To influence four or
Is vastly more difficult, If not impos-
sible.
That would only be the beginning.
Stature is probably one of the simplest
OF the gene complexes. Such an heredit-
able character as musical or mathe-
matical ability may involve the inter-
action of dozen or more. When one
enters the field of mental abilities and
personality traits the complexities prob
ably would battle the capacities of
mathematics. An example is intelli-
gence. There is some evidence, not so
much now as few years ago, that there
is an hereditary biological basis for it
which is built upon by environment. It
is, perhaps, the latest acquisition of the
race and very likely the most complex
Of all the gene combinations Yet it Is
the trait which would be most desirable
In the Superman.
Says the report: "The mathematical
difficulties of selection for a considerable
number of independently inherited genes
are so great that in slowly reproduc-
ing organism like man any attempt to
bring together all the desirable human
characteristics in a single ideal type ap-
pears to be quite fantastic. Fortunately
human society is so diverse that it needs
large variety Of abilities. The problem
of conserving the biological basis of
human culture is not dependent on the
formation of any such perfect human
type, or deVising unWorkable means of
breeding what is statistically an impos-
sibility.
ut is rather problem of recognizing
that healthy, intelligent human person.
ality is dependent on complex biolog-
ical substratum and that the same
Mendelian mechanism which makes it
impossible to breed race of superhu-
mans may cause a deterioration in this
essential biological heritage. In the his
tory of the race various selective condi-
tions have performed this selective
function. Many of these have ceased to
operate in civilized society. The logical
answer of an enlightened society to this
situation would seem to be the develop
ment of human conservation policy.
In the past We have as a Nation con-
sidered our natural resources and our
human resources alike to be virtually
inexhaustible. 1t has come as rather a
shock in recent years to learn that the
acreage of formerly fine farm land that
into a staggering number of millions
In exactly the same way our human
heritage Is not inexhaustible Millions
OF years have gone into building it up,
just as In the case of the soil. The
possibility Of the wastage of the genes
favorable to human development through
social conditions causing adverse selec-
ton suggests a more serious national
problem than any amount of soil ero-
SION"
The problem of keeping the Nation s
human stock from biological deteriora-
ton, however, becomes an extraordinary
complicated one. Inheritors of what at
present appear to be the most desir2 BILE
traits have a tendency toward the low
est birth rate-a condition that may be
partly biological, partly sociological and
partly due to the changing economic
complex in which they live.
1t would be possible to stop few
proven lines of biological deterioration,
but these would hardly be drop in the
ocean as regards their effects on the
population as whole. The emphasis
must be placed on conservation, and the
possibilities of counteracting what may
be adverse heredity by good environ
ment. Some supposedly bad qualities it
may be, are bad largely because they are
allowed to exist in surroundings which
make them destructive.
There has been much concern, for ex-
ample, over the supposedly increasing
numbers of the insane in the American
population. Here, it seems almost be-
yond doubt, there is some biological fac
tor. Yet years of study have failed to
define it or to determine what part it
plays except in few specific and, on the
whole, unimportant, maladies. And
some of the very qualities which dis
tinguish mental diseases might have a
definite survival value in another en-
vironment-as was probably the case
with schizophrenia at times during the
so-called dark ages"
THE best guarantee Of sound bio
logical and social national develop
ment," this part of the report con-
cludes, would appear to be a situation
in which the determining factors in the
size of family would not be ignorance,
isolation and Indifference as contracted
with ambition and anxiety. but interest
in child life and ability to provide fa-
vorable environment for child develop
ment"