Humanly Possible [antikvár]

A BIOLOGIST'S MAIL In an earlier book I mentioned the strange letters that a biologist sometimes finds in his mail. Strange because of the wishes they express, the questions they ask, the illusions they show, the reproaches they contain. I now want to return to that subject, extending it to cover all the letters that come to me, some of which are only indirectly connected with biology. They will give an idea of the relations that can arise between the public and a solitary man who, having written a great deal—perhaps too much—over the past half-century, has sometimes stirred up sharp reactions by the judgments he has pronounced on a wide range of issues, not only scientific, but also philosophical, social, and moral. Discussing my own reactions to some of these letters will give me a new opportunity to express myself on matters that I feel strongly about. In the first place, quite naturally, I receive many letters about problems of heredity. I am asked if a certain disease or