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0 1. 2. 3. • 4. 5. PROPOSAL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BIOGEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH CENTER SUMMARY Formation of a Task Force was initiated by the President's Special Assistant for Science and Technology in the spring of 1961 to compose a proposal for a ten-year plan for the atmospheric sciences. Among the subjects considered by members of the Task Force at its conferences was the coordinated study of the action of geophysical forces on biological systems, especially man. It was considered desirable to have such a coordinated program pursued at one or more centers of interdisciplinary research into biogeophysics. Land, some key personnel and funds to initiate a center for such bio- geophysical studies have been made available under certain conditions at an existing research institute. Facts set forth on following pages provide details of this undertaking and steps taken for its implementation. Scientific Advisory Committee: Dr. Sverre Petterssen: Professor of Meteorology and Chairman of the Department, University of Chicago Dr. Joseph Kaplan: Professor of Geophysics, U.C.L.A. Dr. Colin Pittendrigh: Professor of Biology, Princeton University Dr. Walter Orr Roberts: Director of the University Corporation for A tmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado Dr. Helmut Landsberg: Director of the Office of Climatology, = U. S. Weather Bureau Submitted by: • November 15, 1961 John H. Heller, M.D. Executive Director New England Institute for Medical Research Ridgefield, Connecticut

• 1 In March, 1961 the President's Scientific Advisory Committee, under the chairmanship of Dr. Jerome B. Wiesner, the President's Special Assistant for Science and Technology, requested the National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council to appoint a Task Force to dis- cuss long-range planning and programming in research in the atmospheric sciences. The Task Force was appointed, with Dr. Sverre Petterssen of The University of Chicago as chairman, and met during July and August, 1961 at the headquarters of the American Meteorological Society in Boston, Mass. The following condensed quotations from the opening remarks of the chairman at the planning conference will help to indicate the point of view with which the members of the Task Force approached their delibera- tions: tions: "Short-range planning that underlies customary annual budget estimates does not provide for the stability needed to at- tract talent to engage in research in areas where results are largely to be distant." "We are planning not only for atmospheric research but also for applications and services that stem therefrom." "What we might wish to bear in mind is that meteorology is the environmental science par excellence; (it) deals with one of the most precious resources of our planet." "It is well for us here to remember that we are concerned not only with atmospheric sciences but also their applica- tions to engineering, water resources problems, agriculture, health, and life and livelihood in general." Following lengthy discussions, the Task Force recommended, among other things, that a coordinated study be undertaken of the action of geo- physical forces upon biological systems, including especially man. Subse- quently, quently, a committee of five outstanding scientists agreed to constitute a panel to advise on the implementation of this undertaking.

2 0 • 0 Geophysical forces or conditions to be considered include climate, locale, periodicity, and fields, s.mong others. The effects of these forces on man and other biological units have been studied separately for some years under various names. The new coordinated approach, emphasized by use of the broader term "biogeophysics," views such apparently separate factors as parts of a larger, interrelated whole, requiring an interdiscip- linary approach for the achievement of maximum knowledge, understanding and benefits. Posing an exciting challenge to scientists of many disciplines, this concept holds out the prospect of major advances in knowledge sig- nificantly affecting human physical and mental states through better under- standing of geophysical forces acting on man and other living organisms. Discussions by members of the Task Force pointed up two major problems in initiating coordinated biogeophysical studies. (1) There are relatively few biogeophysicists. (2) There is no center where all the many diverse scientific disciplines, ranging from astronomy and geophysics to biology, presently form the basis of a coordinated attack upon these vital problems. It was the concensus that a start toward solving both problems would be found in the establishment of such a center to serve as a focus for initiating work in this field by providing physical facilities and also as a means for recruitment of personnel. It then appeared that an unuHuall combination of circumstances

0 (2) it currently has several major research projects under way in areas to be embraced in biogeophysics; 3 makes the New England Institute for Medical Research at Ridgefield, Conn., a logical place to locate such a biogeophysical research center, for these reasons: (1) (3) That Institute has since 1954 operated under a basic doctorate group who has been worr.ing in fundamentaJl research in the inter- disciplinary fields of biology, chemistry, and.physicU, in an atmosphere of complete freedom of inquiry; although currently housing a full staff in its present building, it has room alongside its present structure for the new biogeo- physical center to be housed with minimum expense and start-up time; (4) it has pioneered in the development of much new instrumentation which will be needed specifically in biogeophysics; and • (5) it houses staff members whose breadth of activity and membership in numerous scientific societies provide an optimum opportunity to attract able scientists into the field of biogeophysics. 0 Upon being informed of the need which the New England Institute for Medical Research seems qualified to meet, the Trustees of that Institute agreed to make available land anc: some personnel and funds for the initiation of a biogeophysical center next to :i.ts present building, provided that suf- ficient evidence of continuing support of the project by governmental and private sources be forthcoming to insure its permanence. This acti~n was co?nmunacated to interested parties, including Dr. Zti'iesner, who recommended the transmission of this information to the National Science Foundation, with the proposal that it survey federal agencies to acquaint scientists in Government with the projected new center.

• • Considerable interest in the project has been evidenced by federal agencies (Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture) Department of the Interi.or, National Institutes of Health, National Science Four.dation, United States Weather Bureau and others ) and a degree of surport can be expected.from such sources. However, it is anticipated that major support of the proposed biogeophysical research center should come from foundations, corporations, and individuals. This center will provide a fundamental research facility for investigators of many disciplines t o come together and undertake both short-range and long-range programs. Support must therefore include broad-gauge and extended grants from non-project-oriented sources, in addition to grants designed for the resolution of specific short-range problems. A brief description of some areas included under the heading • of biogeophysics follows: 1. Bicclimatolo y One of the important areas included under biogeophysics is bioclimatology or medicµl climatology. It has been known for centuries that climate affects man mentally and physically. Unfortunately, a great deal of the research carried out in this area has been done either by physicians with inade- quate concepts of statistics and the physical sciences, or by meteor- ologis ts unfarniliar with the natural history of disease.

• • Nonetheless, there is general agreement that (a) certain diseases are more prevalent under some climatologic conditions than others, and (b) many patients with acute or chronic disease will "feel better," do better," and actually "be better" by objective criteria when removed from one clim- atologic situation to another. (The reverse of (b) is also true: patients ostensibly in relatively good health may become ill if removed to other climates.) These propositions seem so fundamental that they have been accepted as answers rather than aa posing major questions. For instance, we have virtually no idea why desert conditions, mountain conditions, or seashore conditions should affect disease. Laymen and physicians alike may assert that a patient feels better in a "high and dry" climate, but if we consider what altitude and low humidity can have to do with a disease such as arthritis, we find no known answers. We cannot now postulate a mechanism whereby such conventional climatologic factors interact with this type of disease. And this is only the first part of the problem. The second part is perhaps even more puzzling. Let us again take arthritis as an example. There are arthritics in New England who feel markedly better when they go to Florida. At certain times of the year the climatic conditions in Florida and New England can be virtually identical. Thus, conventional meteorologic parameters such as temperature, barometric pressure and humidity can be •

6 • • much the same in New England as they are in Florida at any one time, yet the arthritic is significantly improved in Florida and significantly worse in New England. It is possible to create artificial climates inside of hermetically-sealed pressure chambers, reproducing all known conventional meteorologic factors. If we take an arthritic who is in pain in New England and place him in a sealed atmospheric chamber which reproduces all known factors of the climatologic situation in Florida, we find no improvement in his con- dition. Contrariwise, if we place the arthritic in a sealed atmospheric chamber in Florida where we reproduce the New England climatologic situatiog the patient does not feel worse. There is a related set of experiments which one can do with this same type of chamber. Large numbers of people develop symptoms of various kinds as a function of weather change. Such individuals develop typical aches and pains when a storm is approaching or some other atmospheric change appears in the making. These aches and pains cannot be induced in a sealed atmospheric chamber, even though one ostensibly simulates quite accurately the weather changes which normally cause the aches and pains. Moreover, even when a climatologic factor and its effects are known, there may be no known explanation of the relationship between them. For instance, it has been reported that there is an increase in shop- lifting on extremely humid days which has been markedly curtailed by the installation of dehumidifier.s in some stores. If these data are accurate, this is most mysterious.

• • • -7- Tr.us two things seem clear: we do not understand how certain known c13.matologic situations affect man; also, unknown atmospheric factors affect man and his health. A single example can be cited for which the statistics appear to be unequivocal under scrutiny by very competent scientists who have developed serious reservations about most bioclimatologic data because they have examined so much of it and found it wanting. This is the case of the so-called Fohn winds. When these high altitude Fohn winds come down from mountainous areas to low-lying ones, the suicide rate and the automobile accident rate go up very significantly. The implications of the relation of ouch meteorologic factors to the human mind are startling and presumably very important. A large number of similar phenomena could be recited. It is unfortunate but true that medical climatology and bio- climatology have been poorly studied up the the present. Regional societies of medical men and some meteorologists scrutinize some of these phenomena. However, as mentioned above, most of this type of research is grossly inadequate. (Perhaps it might be constructive to point out some of the reasons why previous efforts have proved unacceptable to most serious investigators. A great part of the membership of medical climatological groups consists of European medical men whose official posts are Chief Physician for a specific spa. Obviously these men are interested in trying to prove the virtue of the mineral waters and climate in their specific locale. The other serious disadvantage of studies done heretofore relates to the great complexity of carrying out definitive experiments. In any scientific work the design of the experiment is critical; if an experiment is poorly designed, it is highly unlikely that conclusions drawn from the material will have validity. This has been generally true in medical climatology, where fallacies are frequently met for variaus reasons.

8 0 (Inadequate sampling techniques are used. It is difficult to determine a so-called standard population, but it is absolutely essential) irrespective of the difficulty. Next, it is absolutely vital to study a sufficiently large number of people over a significantly long period of time so that the conclusions reached are representative and not fortuitous. In addition, climatologic or other physical factors being measured fre- quently represent a completely different type of problem both statistically and in their mathematical treatment from those of biological factors. It becomes necessary to have a sound understanding of meteorology and the methcd of treating its physical manifestations. Rigorous mathematical analyses must be developed in order to establish valid correlative indices between the biological and the physical.) A final illustration might be used at this point to show the difficulty of this type of research where conditions are under rather good c ontrol . There has been for some time a suspicion that charged particles • in the air (ions) have a significant effect upon man's health and his moods. Indeed, three major producers oi' air conditioning systems currently include ion generators in their devices. A large number of physicians believe unequivocally that negative ions are beneficial. Most vrork in this field, however, has been so poorly done that serious scientists and research physicians reject the conclusions or, at best, view them with great sus- picion. Seme reasons for these doubts relate to the fact that objective and quantitative methods f or evaluating change have been lacking. (It is inadequate and unacceptable to use data derived from the fact that an individual says thet he feels better under certain conditions, with the physician then reporting that the patient says that he feels better. Such information comes through a doubly subjective filter and cannot be quantified or treated objectively. In most of these experiments the numbers of ions in the atmosphere, prior to the time that either positive or ne0ative ions are pumped into a sealed room, have not been evaluated. Very little attention has been given to the size of ions or the size of the particle to which the ions are attached. Insufficient attention has been given to recombination and grounding. Finally, virtually no attention 0

0 • -9- has been given to the possible mode of interaction of such charges with the human organism. Those mechanisms thus far postulated in most studies reveal serious ignorance of physics and physical chemistry. This tends to prnclade such studies from having validity.) 2. Biogeoaxaphy The next major area of concern under the heading of biogeophysics is biogeography, which obviously cannot be divorced entirely from bioclima- tology, though it is sometimes treated as though it could be. Under the heading of biogeography are included the influences of locale on flora and fauna. Ma.ny plants and animals thrive in certain geographic locales but not in others. In many cases the reasons are obvious: precipitation, minerals in the ground, food supply, and so on. In many other situations, however, these simple factors are apparently inadequate to explain observed phenomena. A very good example can be seen in the Red Tide which so often afflicts the Florida coast. Organisms which produce the Red Tide are constantly pregent in these waters. From time to time a fortuitous com- bination of circumstances not yet understood results in enormous prolif- eration of these organisms, so that the ocean seems tinted red. The tremendous damage caused by the Red Tide in obliterating entire popula- tions of marine animals and making entire-coastal areas uninhabitable (because of the great mass of dead and rotting marine life on the shore) makes such an event very serious. The same organism is present in other waters and yet never manifests this explosive growth. •