AAAS ANNUAL MEETING, 26-31 DECEMBER 1967, NEW YORK CITY

The 1967 Meeting of the AAAS:A Retrospect

Walter G. Berl, Meeting Editor

The 134th Meeting of the AAAS was

held in New York City during the week

of 26 December. It was attended by7279 registrants and, perhaps, half as

many more nonregistered visitors, Itsvaried content was described in detail inScience (beginning with the 22 Septem-ber issue) and needs no repetition here.More than 1200 topics were offered

for discussion. The AAAS sponsored11 Invited Lectures: Carroll M. Wil-liams (Harvard), Dame Kathleen Lons-dale (University of London), AthelstanSpilhaus (The Franklin Institute), RogerRevelle (Harvard), Cyril Stanley Smith(M.I.T.), Alfred Sherwood Romer (14ar-vard), Herman Kahn (Hudson Institute),Abel Wolman (The Johns Hopkins Uni-versity), B. F. Skinner (Harvard), JohnA. Wheeler (Princeton), and BradfordWashburn (Science Museum of Boston).AAAS committees held three symposia:The Hazards of Iodine-131 Fallout inUtah; Secrecy, Privacy, and Public In-formation; and Weather Modificationin Arid Lands. Six general symposiawere presented: Michael Faraday-Nat-ural Philosopher; Is Defense against Bal-listic Missiles Possible?; Crime, Science,and Technology; Marine Science; Manand Transportation; and Do Life Proc-esses Transcend Chemistry and Physics?In addition, the 20 AAAS sections and41 affiliated societies organized more

than seven score symposia, contributedpaper sessions, vice-presidential ad-dresses, luncheon and evening lectures,lectures and panels, symposia and pan-

els, plain panels, and other sessions. Al-together, more than 250 "half-dayequivalents" were scheduled in four-and-one-half working days. Based on

sheer numbers and variety of subjectsthe meeting resembled its predecessors.Sensitive observers, though, could de-tect a change in direction and purpose

away from excessive fragmentation.

758

Educational Television

The most interesting and, perhaps, themost significant development of themeeting was the "intrusion" of televisioninto the proceedings: interesting becauseof uncertainty whether such a venturewould be successful; significant becausoof the implication for the future.

Early in November 1967 it becameclear that a program of high standardsand wide interest was in prospect. Largeblocks of air time were made availableby Educational Channel 13 (New York,WNDT) so that entire sessions could betelevised "live." A generous gift fromthe Ford Foundation, given in recordtime, and several smaller contributions(including sizable support from theAAAS) provided the financial support.Most important, though, was the en-

thusiastic willingness of many people towork very hard to make the experi-ment work.

Detailed programming began early inDecember, with the following groundrules: No televised program was to bemodified, in content or execution, fromwhat was originally planned. The stay-ing power of the viewing public was

assumed to be the same as that of theaudience in the meeting room. Therewas to be no "watering down," no edit-ing, and no censorship. Except for in-sistence on prompt starting and a

tightening up of procedures for han-dling questions from the audience, theserequirements were met. A more difficultdemand, how to keep the TV cameras

operating continuously from the start-ing time to sign-off at 5:00 p.m., was

solved satisfactorily by scheduling a

substantial number of informal inter-views. In this way, the breaks betweenmorning and afternoon sessions and any

early or late time not needed for formalsessions were filled.

The results were impressive, indeed.Eleven half-day sessions were televisedin their entirety over 12 stations of theinterconnected Eastern EducationalNetwork. A second crew was on handto record two sessions of the GeneralSymposium on "Crime, Science, andTechnology" for later playback. Fortyindividuals were interviewed, eitheralone or in small groups. An extra-ordinary record in depth and varietywas built up.

All televised sessions were recordedon tape. (A substantial part of the videosignal of the Kahn Panel was irretriev-ably lost during transmission.) Inquiriesfor noncommercial use of this materialshould be sent to the Meeting Editor,AAAS Annual Meeting, 1515 Massa-chusetts Avenue, NW, Washington,D.C. 20005.

Tours, Exhibits, Receptions

Not since 1900, when the custom ofTolurs and Excuirsions was downgradedin favor of more time for meetings, wasthere such a response to participate intours to a number of scientific and ed-ucational establishments in and nearNew York. With the enthusiastic sup-port of D. W. Bronk (RockefellerUniversity), W. G. Conway (New YorkZoological Park), F. Cooper (HaskinsLaboratory), G. McNew (Boyce Thomp-son Institute for Plant Research),R. F. Nigrelli (Aquarium of the NewYork Zoological Society), W. G. Steere(New York Botanical Garden), and J.L. Worzel (Lamont Geological Ob-servatory) well over 1200 registrantswere made welcome and entertained,inspected laboratories, visited specialexhibits, and discussed the main inter-ests of the establishments with their sen-ior staff members. New laboratories, re-cently opened at the Aquarium and theLamont Observatory, and other facili-ties, rarely open to visitors, were madeaccessible.

Symbolic and pleasing was the per-mission given by J. Oliver, Director ofthe New York Museum of Natural His-tory, to hold the Address of the RetiringPresident (A. S. Romer) in the audi-torium of the Museum, followed by areception in its Great Hall. Undeterredby a driving rainstorm a large audi-ence listened to a splendid lecture.A determined effort was made to

support the AAAS Science Film Thea-tre on a scale appropriate to its intrinsicpotential. This required a large audi-torium, projection equipment of the

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Televised Lectures, Symposia and Panel DiscussionsIs Defense against Ballistic Missiles Possible?

Panel Discussion. M. L. Goldberger (Princeton Uni-versity), moderator.

Richard L. Garwin (Columbia University), Hans A.Bethe (Cornell University), Daniel Fink (Deputy Di-rector of Defense Research and Engineering, Depart-ment of Defense), and Freeman Dyson (Institute forAdvanced Study, Princeton University).

(2 hioutrs, 40 minuttes)

Man and Transportation

Frontiers of Science: Lecture III

Chairman: Athelstan Spilhaus (President, Franklin In-stitute, Philadelphia).

Speaker: Roger Revelle (Director, Center for Popula-tion Studies, Harvard University). Cani thze Poor Couin-tries Benefit fromz the Scientific Revolution?

Panel Discussion: Athelstan Spilhaus, Chairman; E. A.Mason (Professor of Nuclear Engineering, MassachusettsInstitute of Technology); William Paddock (Consultantin Tropical Agricultural Development, Washington,D.C.); and Hans W. Singer (Director, Policies and Pro-gramming Division, United Nations Industrial De-velopment Organization). (3 hours)

Chairman: Claiborne Pell (U.S. Senator, Rhode Is-land).

Mant's Movemtienit anid His City. Constantinos A.Doxiadis (President, Doxiadis Associates International,Athens, Greece).

Urbanz Tr-anipo-tationi in Conitext. Colin Buchanan(Professor of Transport, Imperial College of Scienceand Technology, London). (2 houirs)

Science and Technology as Instruments of Policy

Chairman: Sanford A. Lakoff (State University of NewYork at Stony Brook).

Speaker: Fred S. Hoffman (Assistant Director, Bureauof the Budget, Washington, D.C.). Systems Analysis anidSocial Policy

Commentators: Amitai Etzioni (Columbia University),Edward Friedland (State University of New York, StonyBrook), Bruce L. R. Smith (Columbia University), andAlbert Wohlstetter (University of Chicago).

(2 hours, 30 nzinuttes)

Vice-Presidential Address (Section on Economic andSocial Sciences)

Chairman: Eugene B. Skolnikoff (Massachusetts Insti-tute of Technology).

Speaker: David B. Truman (Provost, Columbia Uni-versity). The Social Scienices: Maturi-ity, Relevance, ani(d

the Problem of Training. (40 miiznutes)

Secrecy, Privacy, and Public Information

Chairman: Detlev W. Bronk (President, The Rocke-feller University).

Secr-ecy and Edutcation. Philip E. Mosely (ColumbiaUniversity).

Is Secrecy in Science Ever Jutstified? Robert L. Sproull(Cornell University).

Chairm-cain's RemFarks and Openi Discuissiotn. Detlev W.Bronk. (2 hours, 30 minul tes)

Research in Birth Control and Changing Sex Behavior

Chairman: Ailon Shiloh (GradLuate School of PublicHealth, University of Pittsburgh).

Changing Sex Behavior ainon, College Youthl. Paul H.Gebhard (Institute for Sex Research, Indiana University).

The Social Conztext of Pr-emn1alrital Sexiual Peir-umissive-ntess. Ira L. Reiss (University of Iowa).

Beha(viorail Characteristics a(nmong Womeen UtilizingSelected Bir thi Contr ol Techin1iqules. Ailon Shiloh (Uni-versity of Pittsburgh).

Sexua(Yl Behaivior and Noni-Coitail Conitraaceptiont. Fred-erick J. Ziegler (Cleveland Clinic Foundation).

Discussants: Mary Calderone (Executive Director, SexInformation and Education Council of the United States)and Charles F. Westoff (Princeton University).

(3 hours)

Special Lecture

Chairman: Philip M. Hauser (Chairman, Departmentof Sociology and Director, Population Research andTraining Center, University of Chicago).

Speaker: Herman Kahn (Director, Hudson Institute).Speculation on thle Next Thirty-three Years.

Panel Discussion: Philip M. Hauser, Chairman; DanielBell (Professor of Sociology, Columbia); Harrison Brown(Professor of Geochemistry, California Institute ofTechnology); Walter Sullivan (Science Editor, The NewYork Times); and Hans H. Landsberg (Resources forthe Future, Inc., Washington. D.C.). (5 hlouirs)

Public Authority and Private Initiative in theDelivery of Personal Health Services

Panel Discussion: Gerard Piel (Publisher, ScientificAmoletrican), Lester Breslow (Director of Public Health,State of California), Lewis Thomas (Dean, School ofMedicine, New York University), and Kerr White(School of Hygiene and Public Health, The Johns Hop-kins University). (2 hours, 30 minutes)

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Do Life Processes Transcend Physics and Chemistry?(An Informal Discussion)

Chairman: Gerald Holton (Harvard University).Michael Polanyi (Oxford University), John R. Platt(University of Michigan), Ernest Nagel (Columbia Uni-versity), and Barry Commoner (Washington University).

(2 hours, 30 minutes)

Crime, Science, and Technology

Chairman: James Osterburg (University of California).Historical Patterns of Negro Retaliatory Violence. El-

liott Rudwick (Southern Illinois University).Justice, Violence, and Social Change. James Laue (U.S.

Department of Justice).The Police in Riot Control. Joseph Lohman (University

of California).Negro Reaction to the Los Angeles Riot and the De-

velopment of a Riot Ideology. Thomas Tomlinson (Officeof Economic Opportunity). (3 hours)

The Expanding Role of Science and Technology in

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice

Panel Discussion: Joseph Coates (Institute for DefenseAnalyses), Moderator; James Scheuer (U.S. CongressRepresentative, 21st District, New York), James Oster-burg (University of California), Alfred Blumstein (Insti-tute for Defense Analyses and Scientific Director, Presi-dent's Crime Commission), John Pemberton (ExecutiveSecretary, American Civil Liberties Union), and DanielH. Watts (Editor, Liberator). (3 hours)

Televised Interviews

Dael Wolfle, Executive Officer, AAAS.Walter G. Berl, Editor, Annual Meeting, AAAS.Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, President, British Associa-

tion; Professor of Crystallography, University College,London.Don K. Price, President, AAAS; Dean, John Fitz-

gerald Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Uni-versity. (30 minutes)

Freeman Dyson, Institute for Advanced Study, Prince-ton University. (20 minutes)

David T. Wilkinson, Department of Astronomy,Princeton University. (30 minutes)

Claiborne Pell, U.S. Senator, Rhode Island.Herman Mark, Professor of Polymer Science emeritus,

Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute.Herman Pollack, Science Advisor to the Secretary,

Department of State.Alfred S. Romer, Professor of Zoology emeritus, Har-

Albert J. Solnit, Director, Child Study Center, YaleUniversity.

Selma Fraiberg, University of Michigan Medical Cen-ter, Neuropsychiatric Institute, Ann Arbor.

Charles A. Malone, Philadelphia Child Guidance Cen-ter.

Phyllis V. Parkins, Director, Biosciences InformationCenter, Philadelphia.

Chauncey Leake, University of California.Sir Robert Robinson, Professor of Chemistry emeritus,

Oxford University. (2 hours)

Eugene B. Skolnikoff, Department of Political Sci-ences, M.I.T.

Milner Schaefer, Assistant Secretary and Science Ad-visor to the Secretary of the Interior.

Bentley Glass, Academic Vice President, State Uni-versity of New York at Stony Brook. (30 minutes)

Walter 0. Roberts, Director, National Center forAtmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado.

Carl Sagan, Harvard University and SmithsonianAstrophysical Laboratory, Cambridge.Hugh McLellan, National Council on Marine Re-

sources and Engineering Development.Nicholas P. Fofonoff, Chairman, Department of Physi-

cal Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institu-tion.

John Isaacs, Scripps Oceanographic Institute, La Jolla,California. (1 hour, 30 minutes)

Margaret Mead, American Museum of Natural His-tory, New York.Mary Calderone, Executive Director, Sex Information

and Education Council of the United States.Philip M. Hauser, Chairman, Department of Sociology,

University of Chicago.B. F. Skinner, Professor of Psychology, Harvard Uni-

versity.Philip Abelson, Editor, Science, and Director, Geo-

physical Laboratory, Carnegie Institute. (2 hours)

Gerard Piel, Publisher, Scientific American.(30 minutes)

David Krech, Laboratory of Biodynamics, Universityof California, Berkeley.

Bernard W. Agranoff, University of Michigan.Jerome Lederer, Director, Manned Flight Safety,

NASA.John P. Stapp, Principal Medical Scientist, Federal

Highway Administration.Daniel H. Watts, Editor, Liberator.Vincent J. Schaeffer, Atmospheric Sciences Research

Center, State University of New York at Albany.Lester Breslow, Director of Public Health, State of

California. (2 hours)

W. Hines, Science Editor, Washington Star.Judith Randall, Medical Reporter, Washington Star.

vard University.

760

(30 minutes) .1SCIENCE, VOL. 159

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highest stlandards. atnd the best axvaillbledomilestic and for-eigin filis. These needsw cre met and several tilouLsanid guLestsattended the seven halt-diLs sessions.The 00th annixversarx otl the death

of ,flich(el/ Fara((1(rv xw as comnmemorlatedIin sexerall vvlavs. To aL svilmposiumll OnlMichael FaradLias NaLtu1raLl Philosophermx as added a demonstration lecture byRonald Kinig of the Rov al Institutioin.I ondon. who held his afudience spcl-hboLund wvith a blr-illiaLint peCrtformaince. inspite of the ditlicultics of performinga large numher ol' exper-imiients in a111 un11-familar lecturi-c hall. SUpplementing thisxxvas an exhibit at the Ahbev Rocke-feller Hall of Rockefeller Universitx.NIChI unutSual11 material aIbOUt Faradlaixxxwas presented t or the enjoyment otAAAS members, high school stuLdenitsattenditig the Rockefeller- Christiiias ILec-tires, and the citizens ot Nes York.

Finallx IILIseiLiils and other- estab-lishnients in New York- opetiedi tlCeirldoors or contributed their help. TheSierra Cluh, w ith aii exhihit o(t AnselAdams' photogr-aphs iin the HiltonHotel; The Johii Pier-poit Mlorgani Ii-brarx exhibitili soiile ot its sieiiiifictreLaSures ( inclUdinig a, letter froiii Tho-rcaugixLiiie his reasoiis tor tiot wish-iiig to becoiiie a iiieiiiber ot the AAAS):tie IBNI Giallery\ with ii e\lxhibit otLeoniardo cli Viiici iiiodels; the NexxYorki PubliC I ibrary vxith ain exhiliit ofSLiSpeIISioil hridges: the Historical Soci-etv of New York with aL displax of its

collectioli ot tte painitinigs ot J. J.ALiduLbo1i: the Fo-rd FouInIdatioii xxithi aiiiiix itltioi to x isit its iiexs headquartersbUildinig: the MU seumii of NModerii Artxxwith at special otler to xvisit its exhibit ofsttuLCS lix PicaSo: anid the AmiiericaLilCGeogi Lphiclal Societx iniitix g AAASreizistraiits to he their guLests ait the

Exp11l-er-s' C(lubh1This. tlieii. is a briefl sy iiopsis of a

lIa-rg ad coiiiplex\ iiiecet ing. I lieC rl-tlaggiii e support and enltilLiLsialsill ot its(Teiieral chairiiiai.n D. WV. Bronik, wasx isilile exerNxheire. Yet. dlespite IiiclIthat aIs ple.asiiig. UseftUl COliStrUCtix e.LIIdl IIes"'. thlere arc prolileii(s(it o -

jectixes. ot size. of conitcit. anid ot stvicthat h.axe tiot beeii solved ais xet. Hosto steer a saife couirse betxxcen beiiig toosiiialll Land specialized ( and. thereby,coiipetiing with the ir ads ot tccliiircalmeetings heldt every day all over thexworld) ot too large anid fragmented(therebh offeriiig insuflicieiit SuSteCiiaIceto the professionals and too iiiucli coni-ilexitv for everyonie else)'? WVhat limitscan onie xiselx set oii size? What audci-eiices are tc lie served? CLan one filtid

762

a hlarii onx iii tLulIe s ith iiiimeidiate andfut tire ineeds? These ditlicult ques-tions of objectix es and priorities arehieing raised lhi the most thoughtfultIriicid(.s and critics of AAAS Meetings.

Calendar of IEveints

National NMeetings

Fehruary

25. Psychoanaly sis, 6th annual scientificcont.. Nes York. N.Y (A. Blatt, Chair-mnaii Progiani Coniniittee, 7 W. 96 St.,Nesx Y'rik 100)25)

2 - 29. American lIust. of Mlining, Mfetal-Ilirgical. and Petroleum EEngineers, 97thania.l mtg.. Ness \York, N.Y. (C. Hop-kiis. 345 E. 47 St.. Ness York- 10017)

26 -S. Aiiei ican Physical Soc., Boston,MaLss. (XW. W. Havxens. Jr., ColumbiaULi.. Nes York 10027)2-28. Association of Asphalt Paving

Techniologists. Atlantat. Gal. ( L. L. Kole.Box 619. Arm iAliror. MNlich. 48107)

26-8. Association of Iron and SteelEngineers, Wester-n nitg., San Francisco,C alif. ( -. J. Ess. 1010 Empire Bldg.,PitsbUrigh. Pa. 1 5222 )

26-1. Aniieilicaii Assoc. of Junior Col-leges. 48th MannuLl conx ., BostoIi, Mass.(TThe Associatioii. 331 5 1 6th St.. NWX.Washiui-ton. D.C 2(01136)

27. Natiorial lMultiple Sclerosis Soc..Nes Y'ork, N.Y (S. Las rv. ExecuitxVeDirectoi. 257 Pali k Ax e.. SoLuth. Nexs Yoi k1 001110)

2 7-2S. Natiomal ).airy EngineeringC ouf.. I 6th ariliL1al. East larising, Micli.(1). R. Heldniai. Dept. of AgriculturalF miiineerilig. Nl ichiieaii State Uiiiv., Lastl ansinl_ 28823 )27- Scintillation aIl(l Semiconductor

Cotinter. I1Ith sx imi.. XWashiiiiton. D.C.(R. NI. Fmierson. 345 F. 47 St., NessYoik 10)0)17)

28. C ominissioii on Enginieering Educa-tioIn. th ianimwal nit_.. WaNshimton. I).C.( Coimiiiiissiori on Fiigiieeriiig Education.15(1 Ness Hampshire Axc.. NW. Wa'ash-iii,toii. D.C 20)1)36 )

28-3. sn%mericam C ollege of Cardiology,"iII11iin Iitmt.. Srim F raiicisco. Calif. ( WV. 1).NcIligan. 965(I Rock\lIle Pike. Bethesia,Nl. 20)0)14)

28- 3. Biology [teachers. Anlheinm, Calil.(.1. 1P. l ighttimer. Secrctair. 1420 N St..N\V a\V'ashillgtoln. t).C.)

29-2. CN-stic Fibrosis and Related HnL-ilanl anl \iiiimalmd Diseases. sy mp., Ness

'orik. N.Y (Natitonal Cv stic Fibrosis Re-seairclh FoLuIndation. 20)2 F. 44 St.. NesYork 10017)

March

4-0. Society of Toxicology, Washingtoim.D.C. (C. S. WNeil, Mellort Inst.. 4400 FifthAxc.. Pittsburgh. P'a. 15213)

4-0. Technology for Manned PlanetaryMissions. Ness OC)leans. L a. (MeetiiigsManager. 129)0 Sixth Axe., Ness York11)1)19)

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The 1967 Meeting of the AAAS: A RetrospectWalter G. Berl

DOI: 10.1126/science.159.3816.758 (3816), 758-762.159Science 

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of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.Copyright © 1968 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement

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