ETHAN BIER

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The Code of Life

In His Words: The Mystery of Science

When I was young, I read every mystery novel I could find. My favorites were the Ellery Queen stories because about three quarters of the way through the book there would be a page which told readers they were now in possession of all of the facts necessary to solve the mystery. When I got to this point in the book, I would stop and do little else than try to piece together all of the clues into a self-consistent explanation for the facts and figure out who did it. Sometimes this would take days. It was always worth the effort, though, since the thrill of either being right or following a frame-up was exhilarating.

As I learned more about science, I found that that same type of vibrant excitement could come with scientific discovery. It was quite similar to mystery solving in many ways. First, one had to carefully gather the facts with as open a mind as possible. This process then reached a critical point where one hypothesis emerged as the most likely explanation. Then, additional pieces of evidence had to be mustered to prove this hypothesis and eliminate all other plausible possibilities.

Nothing else I have ever done is as exciting or intoxicating as the thrill of such scientific sleuthing and discovery. When you happen upon a discovery, for an electrifying moment you are the only person in the whole world who knows that fact or has had that particular idea. This is indescribable moment in a scientist's life. The discovery need not be earth shattering for there to be magic in this secret thrill, which soon you will share with other eager, awaiting minds. Scores of such precious moments punctuate the life of a typical scientist and create the addictive basis for the constant obsession that drives us to work deep into the night.

More recently, it has also become important for me to see a direct practical consequence of the scientific discovery process. It seems fair for scientists to pay a little back for the privilege of spending a lifetime doing what we love most. Over the past decade it has become apparent that there are very deep similarities in genes that control diverse processes common to all animals. These similarities include genes involved in the development of embryos into adults, genes required for formation of major cell types and organs such as the heart, eyes, and immune system, and genes involved in basic cellular functions such as those involved in the propagation and transmission of electrical impulses in the brain. Now that the entire DNA sequences are available for the genomes of humans and many experimental organisms, it has become evident that the great majority of genes causing disease in humans are also present in other simple organisms such as the fruit fly.

I think we now have a great opportunity use our hard-earned knowledge of how these systems work as molecular machines in simple organisms to understand and ultimately treat genetic and environmentally caused diseases in humans. In my view, scientists like artists are motivated by an uncontrollable passion for their work. One of the great benefits of science, however, is that the fruits of this intellectual pursuit can also have profound impact on the human condition. In this regard, it is important to bear in mind that there is also a serious accompanying responsibility to make wise use of the knowledge that propels science and humanity bravely into this next millennium.

Contact Ethan Bier at ebier@ucsd.edu