The unraveling of a Nobel Prize: How Hermann Muller was awarded the Nobel Prize: A front for eugenics.

This paper asserts that the Nobel Prize for Medicine/Physiology that Hermann J. Muller received in 1946 was a front to enhance the legitimacy, acceptance, and application of eugenics, a strategy to guide the direction and rate of human evolutionary change. Seven of the nine people nominating (1932–1...

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Publicado en:Journal of Occupational & Environmental Hygiene Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 149 - 169
Autores principales: Calabrese, Edward J., Shamoun, Dima Yazji
Formato: Journal Article
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Mar2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: The unraveling of a Nobel Prize: How Hermann Muller was awarded the Nobel Prize: A front for eugenics.
      aug:
        au:
          Calabrese, Edward J.
          Shamoun, Dima Yazji
        affil: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Morrill I-N344, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
      sug:
        subj:
          Scientists
          Leaders
          Genetics, Medical
          Physiology
          Awards and Honors
          Chromosomes
          Mutation
          Neoplasms Risk Factors
          Risk Assessment
          Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced Risk Factors
      ab: This paper asserts that the Nobel Prize for Medicine/Physiology that Hermann J. Muller received in 1946 was a front to enhance the legitimacy, acceptance, and application of eugenics, a strategy to guide the direction and rate of human evolutionary change. Seven of the nine people nominating (1932–1946) Muller were proponents of eugenics with Muller being among the most visible of the scientific leaders. Muller's nominators never cited his Nobel Prize research in scientific literature, lacked expertise in radiation-induced mutations, and were not qualified to evaluate Muller's research. Muller's claim of induced "gene" mutations with extremely high radiation dose rates remained highly uncertain, undercutting legitimate Nobel Prize consideration. Despite their diverse range of educational, research, and political backgrounds, they nominated Muller based on the convergence of their respective eugenic ideologies. The Chair of the Nobel Prize committee not only was a committed eugenicist but also nominated Muller the previous year and had invited these nominators under the belief they would support his prolonged advocacy for Muller. While the underlying intent of the nominations was to associate extremely high scientific achievement with eugenics, the Prize was ironically awarded immediately after World War II, and eugenics would be profoundly stigmatized due to its association with horrific actions against humanity by the Nazis. However, Muller's Nobel Prize became a fear-based lightning rod for the environmental revolution, inspiring the book Silent Spring (1962), and providing the central framework for cancer risk assessment by regulatory agencies worldwide.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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