Insight
IN THE EARLY SIXTIES Bronowski wrote and presented a series (later a book) called Insight for BBC television, interviewing Abdus Salam, Eduardo Paolozzi and Laurence Durrell, among others. In it, he demonstrated the concepts of probability and entropy and the capacities of human intelligence. It was an ambitious series, a foreshadow of Ascent, though studio-based.He also became involved in discussions with Jonas Salk on the creation of a new institute. Among those included in the same discussions was the biologist, Francis Crick
In the very early days 'Bruno' Bronowski and I would fly from London to Paris to consult with Jonas Salk, Jacques Monod, Mel Cohn and Ed Lennox on such fascinating topics as the by-laws for the proposed institute. [Ref. 8]The resulting Salk Institute for Biological Studies was constructed at La Jolla, near San Diego, California, and concerned itself with the integration of the biological and human sciences. When the Salk Institute was officially completed, on December 1, 1960, Bronowski was initially a non-resident fellow there, but in 1964 he moved to more or less permanent residence at La Jolla as Senior Fellow and Director of the Council for Biology. He could, at last, pursue full-time the study of the biological inheritance of human beings and what made them unique.
From here he was invited to give many lectures, including The Identity of Man which appeared in book form in 1965. He also took sabbatical leave from 1969 to plan and film The Ascent of Man.
Enter Chapter 6 The Ascent of Man
James Watson - the co-discoverer of DNA here recollects when Bronowski was witness to his wedding.
Jonas Salk remembers his first meeting with Bronowski and the philosophy of the Salk Institute.
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Copyright © 1997-2001 by Stephen Moss. All rights reserved.
8. Francis Crick What Mad Pursuit Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1988.