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www.EDUCATIONUPDATE.com AwardAward Volume X, No. 10 • New York City • JUNE 2005 Winner FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG U.S. POSTAGE PAID U.S. POSTAGE VOORHEES, NJ Permit No.500 PRSRT STD. PRSRT VISIONARY ARTIST pages 26-28 HOMESCHOOLING Photo: Ellen Wilson 2 EDUCATION UPDATE ■ FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS ■ JUNE 2005 Interview with Nobel Laureate Dr. Paul INTERVIEWS WITH NOBEL LAUREATES AROUND THE NATION Nurse, President, Rockefeller University Illustrious CCNY graduates, nobel laureates, recently came together to celebrate the 100th anni- versary of the seminal discoveries of Albert Einstein who had visited City College when he came to New York in 1921. Education Update interviewed several of the nobelists about their school days, lives in science and views about stem cell research. [Ed.] Herbert Hauptman, SUNY Buffalo I attended elementary school in the Bronx, then Townsend Harris Hill High School in Manhattan, (CCNY (B.S.), Columbia University (M.A.), University of Maryland (Ph.D.) Outstanding Teachers: Professor Emil Post who taught “Theory of Functions of a Real Variable” (CCNY). Also outstanding were Professors Dick Wick Hall and Richard A. Good who taught “Topological Groups” at the University of Maryland. The greatest challenge was the phase problem of x-ray crystallog- raphy. This challenge was overcome through hard work and persistence spanning many years despite uni- versal opposition from the crystal- lographic community. Winning the Nobel Prize meant acceptance of our work on the part of the crystallographic community that for many years had rejected our work as not valid. To be vindicated in this way was important and meant a lot to me. By JOAN BAUM, Ph.D. people can understand and make informed I continue to work on the phase problem that, this research. Education Update (EU): As the 2001 Nobel decisions about scientific advances that affect like any good problem, continues to provide What can one say about Einstein’s work but Prize winner for medicine (along with Dr. Tim society, such as genetically modified foods or significant challenges. that it demonstrates once again that the impor- Hunt and Dr Leland Hartwell, an American), as embryonic stem cell research. This dialogue Stem cell research is of the greatest impor- tance of fundamental scientific research cannot a Fellow of the Royal Society, and at the time should include public policy makers. Scientists tance and should receive major unconditional be exaggerated and should receive major pub- as chief executive of Cancer Research in the need to listen better to the general public. support. I find it incredible, and incredibly lic support and encouragement because of the UK, what considerations led to your leaving short sighted, that there is any resistance to benefits to society which it returns. # the UK to take up the position of president of EU: We have read that your own achieve- The Rockefeller University? ments are all the more remarkable for your Dr. Paul Nurse (PN): Rockefeller University having come from modest beginnings. Who obviously has an enormous reputation, and were the major influences (or mentors) in your research conducted here has had a huge impact life? You spoke of Imperial Cancer Research Kenneth Arrow, Stanford University on science and medicine. For example, the Fund taking you on “as a young scientist with to whom I owe very much indeed in many ways, discovery of blood groups, that a virus can a mission to understand the biology of cancer.” and Abraham Wald. cause cancer, that DNA is the chemical basis of What prompted this sense of “mission?” I had two significant challenges. One was to heredity, are but three of the many discoveries PN: Very early in my education, while I was stay the academic course. My parents had under- that have helped improve human life. I’d like at grammar school, I had a wonderful biology gone great economic insecurity, and I wanted to to help continue that tradition into the 21st cen- teacher who encouraged his pupils to study avoid that. In the postwar period, I was tempted tury by attracting the best talent and encourage natural history and to do real experiments. As to go into some private financially rewarding young people to take on the most challenging an undergraduate, I had a tutor who was huge- activity. Both Hotelling and another economist, scientific problems. ly stimulating and entertaining, and although Tjalling Koopmans, prevented this. The other sometimes wrong was always wrong in an was to write a dissertation that would satisfy the EU: You have stated to recent graduates that interesting way. He taught me the value of the high aspirations that I had for myself and that I “science transcends all cultural barriers within alternative view. During my Ph.D. studies, my felt others had for me. After years of work with the world” but recent studies in this country supervisor was an enormous influence. He was little to show, a chance question to me led me in point to a growing fundamentalism on the a great experimentalist and I rapidly learned a few days to a brand-new idea that satisfied me part of those who would excise Darwin (et al.) the need for good experiments to make any and others. from school texts and require teachers in some progress at all in a research project. And my Winning the Nobel Prize obviously was very states to give equal weight to creationism. postdoc supervisor was pivotal for my entire pleasant, and it has given me some influence. But What would you say to educators about this research career. He gave me both complete my own judgment of myself and the judgment of growing trend and is there similar expression support and total freedom. those I respect is much more important. in the UK? I emphasize my mentors at all stages of my My current work involves two main lines of PN: In the U.K. and Europe, there is real career because they enthused in me the passion research. One is an attempt to bring meaningful mistrust among the public about genetically to do high quality science, to honestly pursue I attended Townsend Harris High School, a spe- models to the extent to which economic behavior modified foods, which I don’t observe in the the truth wherever that might lead. This is what cial high school (entrance by examination) run is influenced by social interactions; the other is U.S. In contrast, in the U.S. the disturbing I have tried to do with my studies of cell biol- by The City College in 1933-6. Its staff included to improve the measurements of the economic pressure to give evolution, creationism and ogy and cancer. several Ph.D.’s, mostly of whom were hoping impacts of environmental failures. intelligent design equal weight is not an issue for a university position. They were perfect for On stem cell research: I am a layman in this in the U.K. and Europe. EU: Do your new duties as president of The me. I remember a French teacher, Leo Cortines; area. It clearly has great potential, and its study An important aspect of both problems is lack Rockefeller University interfere in what we he was a tyrant and perfectionist, and I disliked should be pursued. But I do think that some of public understanding of science and of good have heard are some of your abiding inter- him while in his class, but immediately under- respect must be paid to those whose religious engagement between the public and scien- ests—flying and motorcycle riding? stood what I had learned from him afterwards. I convictions lead to judgments on the value of tists. Sometimes minority groups with rather PN: Unfortunately, flying and motorcycling also remember two mathematics teachers, Irwin potential human life, even though I think these extreme views end up having an inappropriate have taken a backseat to my duties as president, Rothman and Rene Albrecht-Carrie; the latter judgments are incorrect. The distinction between impact on these complex issues. but I still find time to keep them up and to pur- eventually became a professor of history at therapeutic and genetic stem cells seems just sue my more relaxing hobby of looking at the Columbia. about right to me. EU: Reasonably, what might be done to stars with a telescope. # In City College, I majored in mathematics, with My reflections on the 100th anniversary of encourage a more scientifically literate general side interests in history, education, and econom- Einstein’s seminal work: the idea that one person public at a time when science seems increas- ics (really statistics). There was one great math- could write four basic papers on very distinct ingly so complex and specialized? TABLE OF CONTENTS ematics teacher, Bennington Gill; the rest of the branches of physics and have them published PN: Scientists have a responsibility to the faculty were helpful without being outstanding. in one year is so beyond the norm that one can public that goes beyond their science. Scientists ON PAGE 25 In my graduate education at Columbia, I had only marvel. It is a tribute to the possibilities of must engage the public in a dialogue so that several fine teachers, especially Harold Hotelling, humanity. # JUNE 2005 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS 3 EDUCATION BEHIND BARS: PART II OF A SERIES PUPPIES BEHIND BARS RIKERS HIGH: A FILMMAKER’S By MITCHELL tion concerning the nature of the blind, and the LEVINE IEW OF RISON DUCATION detection of high explosives are prominent in the V P E Fans of HBO’s syllabus as well. By GILLIAN GRANOFF Oz probably recall Much other work needs to be done as well, “Making documentaries puts me in the enviable several episodes of which is where the large volunteer staff comes position of being able to explore the world and be the drama last year in.

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