Genetic alchemy
Book • 1982
Sheldon Krimsky's 'Genetic Alchemy' provides a comprehensive social history of the controversies that arose around recombinant DNA research in the 1970s and 1980s.
The book analyzes how scientists, policymakers, activists, and communities interacted to shape regulatory outcomes and public perceptions of genetic engineering.
Krimsky explores the interplay of scientific uncertainty, institutional power, and democratic governance in debates over biosafety and ethics.
Drawing on archival materials and interviews, he reconstructs the major events and arguments that defined the recombinant DNA controversy.
The work highlights enduring questions about public participation, risk assessment, and the governance of emerging biotechnologies.
The book analyzes how scientists, policymakers, activists, and communities interacted to shape regulatory outcomes and public perceptions of genetic engineering.
Krimsky explores the interplay of scientific uncertainty, institutional power, and democratic governance in debates over biosafety and ethics.
Drawing on archival materials and interviews, he reconstructs the major events and arguments that defined the recombinant DNA controversy.
The work highlights enduring questions about public participation, risk assessment, and the governance of emerging biotechnologies.
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Mentioned in the episode's resource list as a detailed social history of the recombinant DNA controversy.
The People vs. Recombinant DNA
