Robert Shapiro is
Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Scientist
in the Department of Chemistry at New York
University. He is author or co-author of over
125 publications, primarily in the area of DNA
chemistry, and in the origin of life. In
particular, he and his co-workers have studied
the ways in which environmental chemicals can
damage our hereditary material, causing changes
that can lead to mutations and cancer. His
research has been supported by numerous grants
from the National Institutes of Health,
Department of Energy, National Science
Foundation and other organizations. Further
details can be found at the following website:
http://chemistry.fas.nyu.edu/object/robertshapiro.html
Professor Shapiro was born
on November 28, 1935 in New York City and
obtained a BS in chemistry, summa cum laude
(1956) from the City College of New York He
received a PhD degree in organic chemistry from
Harvard, under the supervision of Nobel Laureate
R.B. Woodward (1959), postdoctoral training in
DNA chemistry at Cambridge with Nobel Laureate
Lord Todd (1959-1960). After an additional year
of postdoctoral study at the NYU Medical School,
he joined the NYU Chemistry Department in 1961.
He has held a Career Development Award from the
National Institutes of Health and has been
awarded (with physicist Paul Davies) the Trotter
Prize in Complexity, Information and Inference
for 2004. In addition to his research, Professor
Shapiro has written four books and several
magazine articles for the general public. The
books include: 1. "Life Beyond Earth", co-author
with Gerald Feinberg, (Morrow 1980). This book
advanced a very positive view about the
possibilities for life elsewhere in the
Universe. For example, it discussed the
possibility of life in underground niches on
Mars, in oceans beneath the frozen surfaces of
the satellites of Jupiter, and in various
environments within Titan, a satellite of
Saturn. Today, these sites rank at the top of
NASA's agenda, in searching for life within our
Solar System. In addition, it described a number
of exotic possibilities for life based on
substances other than carbon or water. Timothy
Ferris, commented in a front-page review in the
New York Times Book Review: "Informative and
authoritative yet venturesome and readable,
'Life Beyond Earth' is one of the best books on
Earth about life elsewhere." The New Yorker
observed: "For people who like to rerad about
solid scientific speculation, this is an
exhilarating, informative, and ultimately
liberating book." 2. "Origins, a Skeptic's Guide
to the Creation of Life on Earth", (Simon &
Schuster, 1986). This work is described
elsewhere in this web site. 3. "The Human
Blueprint", (St. Martin's Press, 1991). This
work described the current and future course of
the Human Genome Project. It anticipated the use
of DNA testing to resolve the Thomas
Jefferson-Sally Hemings paternity question, and
the Anastasia controversy, as well as the use of
DNA analysis to track the historical movement of
human populations. It was an alternate
Book-of-the Month Club Selection for Sept. 1991,
and in German translation, this book was
selected by the jury "Bild am Wissenschaft" as
the "Wissenschaftbuch des Jahres" (Science Book
of the Year). 4. "Planetary Dreams", (Wiley,
1999). This work is described elsewhere in this
web site. Professor Shapiro has commented:
"obviously, I have developed a taste for very
large scientific topics". When he is not
involved in research, lecturing or writing, he
enjoys running, hiking, wine-tastings,
raquetball, and travel. He and his wife Sandra,
a clinical psychologist practicing in New York,
were married in 1964. Their son, Michael, born
in 1971, composes music for films (http://mikemusic.com).
Robert Shapiro is
Professor Emeritus and
Senior Research
Scientist in the
Department of Chemistry
at New York University.
He is author or
co-author of over 125
publications, primarily
in the area of DNA
chemistry, and in the
origin of life. In
particular, he and his
co-workers have studied
the ways in which
environmental chemicals
can damage our
hereditary material,
causing changes that can
lead to mutations and
cancer. His research has
been supported by
numerous grants from the
National Institutes of
Health, Department of
Energy, National Science
Foundation and other
organizations. Further
details can be found at
the following website:
Professor Shapiro was
born on November 28,
1935 in New York City
and obtained a BS in
chemistry, summa cum
laude (1956) from the
City College of New York
He received a PhD degree
in organic chemistry
from Harvard, under the
supervision of Nobel
Laureate R.B. Woodward
(1959), postdoctoral
training in DNA
chemistry at Cambridge
with Nobel Laureate Lord
Todd (1959-1960). After
an additional year of
postdoctoral study at
the NYU Medical School,
he joined the NYU
Chemistry Department in
1961. He has held a
Career Development Award
from the National
Institutes of Health and
has been awarded (with
physicist Paul Davies)
the Trotter Prize in
Complexity, Information
and Inference for 2004.
In addition to his
research, Professor
Shapiro has written four
books and several
magazine articles for
the general public. The
books include:
1. “Life Beyond
Earth”, co-author
with Gerald
Feinberg, (Morrow
1980). This book
advanced a very
positive view about
the possibilities
for life elsewhere
in the Universe. For
example, it
discussed the
possibility of life
in underground
niches on Mars, in
oceans beneath the
frozen surfaces of
the satellites of
Jupiter, and in
various environments
within Titan, a
satellite of Saturn.
Today, these sites
rank at the top of
NASA’s agenda, in
searching for life
within our Solar
System. In addition,
it described a
number of exotic
possibilities for
life based on
substances other
than carbon or
water.
Timothy Ferris,
commented in a
front-page review in
the New York Times
Book Review:
“Informative and
authoritative yet
venturesome and
readable, ‘Life
Beyond Earth’ is one
of the best books on
Earth about life
elsewhere.” The New
Yorker observed:
“For people who like
to rerad about solid
scientific
speculation, this is
an exhilarating,
informative, and
ultimately
liberating book.”
2. “Origins, a
Skeptic’s Guide to
the Creation of Life
on Earth”, (Simon &
Schuster, 1986).
This work is
described elsewhere
in this web site.
3. “The Human
Blueprint”, (St.
Martin’s Press,
1991). This work
described the
current and future
course of the Human
Genome Project. It
anticipated the use
of DNA testing to
resolve the Thomas
Jefferson-Sally
Hemings paternity
question, and the
Anastasia
controversy, as well
as the use of DNA
analysis to track
the historical
movement of human
populations. It was
an alternate
Book-of-the Month
Club Selection for
Sept. 1991, and in
German translation,
this book was
selected by the jury
“Bild am
Wissenschaft” as the
“Wissenschaftbuch
des Jahres” (Science
Book of the Year).
4. “Planetary
Dreams”, (Wiley,
1999). This work is
described elsewhere
in this web site.
Professor Shapiro has
commented: “obviously, I
have developed a taste
for very large
scientific topics”.
When he is not involved
in research, lecturing
or writing, he enjoys
running, hiking,
wine-tastings,
raquetball, and travel.
He and his wife Sandra,
a clinical psychologist
practicing in New York,
were married in 1964.
Their son, Michael, born
in 1971, composes music
for films
(http://mikemusic.com).
Planetary Dreams
“The stunning
insights
provided in
Planetary Dreams
make it a book
for everyone who
has the
slightest
curiosity about
our role in the
cosmos.”
Origins, a
Skeptic’s Guide to the Creation of
Life on Earth
Reviews:
“Professor Shapiro, of New
York University, is a
chemist, and to judge from
this splendid book, a
natural writer. He shifts
through the various
hypotheses about the origin
of life and demonstrates
that most are scientifically
implausible or are simply
forms of creation myth,
sometimes in the guise of
science.”
-The New Yorker
“Here is a first-rate
scientific mind enlivened by
wit and wisdom throwing a
brilliant light upon the
perennially interesting
question of the origin of
life; and performing this
seemingly difficult task in
a most delightfully readable
manner. ORIGINS is certainly
the most original and
right-headed book ever
written on the subject, at
once illuminating, highly
informative, and vastly
entertaining, and while
likely to cause some bats in
academic belfries to blush,
the reader will find it an
exhilarating experience.”
-Dr. Ashley Montague
“Superbly written…To walk
through its arguments is to
come upon the process of
science, the veil of
self-deception, and the
questing nature of
speculation.”
-Science ‘86
Excerpt:
“’There are those who
believe that life here began
out there.’ A phrase of this
type was repeated at the
start of each episode of a
recent space-opera series.
As it was spoken, the screen
showed a fleet of spacecraft
headed for the planet Earth,
in a massive galactic
Exodus. The scope of these
events, and the backdrop of
star-studded space, sent a
clear message. Our presence
on this planet was not
merely the result of some
local accident but rather
had cosmic importance,
affecting the entire galaxy.
The heavens on a bright
night are a magnificent
sight. I find it impossible
to look up at them and not
be overwhelmed by their
majesty. I was spared this
experience for much of my
childhood, as I grew up
under the hazy, glare-filled
skies of New York City. Only
occasionally, when my family
was on vacation in the
Catskills and I was allowed
to stay up unusually late on
a summer evening, could I
enjoy the full experience.
More often, I saw it in
simulation, under the
artificial sky of the Hayden
Planetarium. Whatever the
circumstances, once I had
seen the effect, I could
understand the emotions of
those who wished to move our
origins out into the cosmos.
They were similar to those
of a chambermaid in a fairy
tale, who secretly hoped
that she had been born a
princess and that someday
her true identity would be
revealed.”
Channel 34 of the Time/Warner, Channel
83 of the RCN, & Channel 33 of the VerizonFiOS
Cable Television Systems in Manhattan, New
York.
The Program can now also be viewed on the
internet at time of cable casting at:
WWW.MNN.ORGw.
NOTE: You must adjust viewing to reflect NYC time
& click on channel 34 at site
