HISTNEUR-L: The History of Neuroscience Internet Forum

memory-transfer

• Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 15:59:42 -0600
• To: psychology@yorku.ca, cheiron@yorku.ca, istp@yorku.ca, cpahpp@yorku.ca, apa24@yorku.ca, histneur-l@library.ucla.edu
• From: Larry Stern <lstern@FS7HOST.CCCCD.EDU>
• Subject: memory-transfer
• Message-ID: 98Feb19.160314cst.8847-2@cricket.ccccd.edu

Dear fellow list members (first off, I apologize for the length of this
message):

Trained as a sociologist, I am in the midst of a research project that
examines the social and cognitive factors that affect the reception of
so-called 'extraordinary scientific claims.'  My research site is the
'memory-transfer' episode which began in the late 1950s with the work of
Jim McConnell at Michigan and was most vigorously (and rigorously)
pursued by Georges Ungar at Baylor--you might recall his claim,
published in NATURE, to have isolated and identified a molecule he named
'scotophobin' that allegedly coded for dark avoidance in rats.  In
addition to using standard bibliographic sources, I was fortunate to be
granted access to both McConnell and Ungar's personal correspondance. 
As a result, I have thus far been able to identify 180 independent
research teams that conducted transfer experiments and locate 225
published experimental reports that appeared between the years
1961-1983.  Moreover, an examination of NIH and NSF records indicates
that well over $1 million in grants were awarded specifically for
transfer research during this time.  This work, then, although it was
eventually rejected (and for good reasons), was well accommodated and
pursued (which is not to say accepted) by the relevant scientific
community into which it was introduced.

And now, my question.  Of the 180 research teams involved, one third
never published their findings (for various reasons).  I was lucky to
find them through the correspondence.  Anybody else out there???  Since
I am examining those factors that affect the probability that a
scientist would invest time in such a high-risk claim, I need as
complete a population as I can find. Through identifying additional
researchers I might also gather more information on the fate of
submissions of grant proposals and research reports.

Again, I apologize for the length of this message, but I thought that
the quick gloss in the first paragraph would be of interest--most think
that the memory-transfer episode was short lived.  And, yes, I know,
admitting that I am a sociologist is a bit 'like confessing murder' to
some (apologies to Darwin).

Any and all help--and comments--will be most welcome.

Larry Stern
Professor of Sociology