Carnegie Institution for
Science (in Man) Founded
by Jeff Provine
Author
says: please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not
necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).
On January 28th 1902,
on this day the Carnegie Institution for Science (in Man) was founded.
Famed industrialist Andrew Carnegie founded many institutions to promote
education, art, free libraries, and technological development. Most famed
would be his Institute for Science in Washington, D.C., to which he would
give, along with $10,000,000 in registered bonds yielding five percent
interest per year, the instruction, "that the objects in the corporation
shall be to encourage in the broadest and most liberal manner
investigation, research, and discovery, and the application of knowledge
to the improvement of man".
The twenty-four trustees on the board would determine toward what the
investigation and research would be, and, soon after the endowment, an
argument broke out over the Scotsman's choice of the word "man". First
President Daniel Coit Gilman (later to be founder of the Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine) held that the word should be taken
literally to mean the betterment of the human body. Others thought more
figuratively, expecting the institutional grants to go toward more
widespread sciences such as astronomy and materials science. It was
rumored that Gilman demanded those who disagree ask Carnegie for a
clarification, which no one did for fear it would insult his accent or
make them look foolish. Whatever the reality, Gilman eventually won the
argument, and the dedicated sciences toward the improvement of humans
began.
In their first years, the Institute worked with research in determining
the proper activity and diet of individuals. Healthy consumption of eggs
and milk in prisons outlined the need for what would become known as
Vitamin D as well as the general knowledge of vegetables and fruits
opposing rich foods, leading to problems such as diabetes and gout. They
duplicated much of the research of Dutch scientist Christiaan Eijkman
performed in the 1880s on animals and began a mutually beneficial
discourse with British doctor Frederick Hopkins. Building from the
research, the Institute helped to design numerous meal programs for
schools and workers across the nation, along with publishing articles to
help families live their healthiest. Production of pills and oils
containing the necessary vitamins and minerals
National health improved overall with statistical visits to doctors much
decreased. In 1907, Carnegie gave the Institute an additional $2,000,000
to keep up the good work, and they launched into further programs. Over
the course of the next decades, the Institute would merge with the
Eugenics Record Office of New York and employ numerous anthropologists in
determining how to cure hereditary disease. The growth of science in the
Netherlands and Nazi Germany found another great connection for human
improvement, and the Institute worked diligently to assist in the
development of testosterone for medical use. In 1944, with the discovery
of the source of much of the experimental date in concentration camps, the
Institute fell into a public relations nightmare. President Margaret
Sanger (who also served as chairperson of the Birth Control Council of
America) handled the situation carefully, denouncing Nazi extremes while
upholding what might be done for future generations regardless of race.
Since World War II, the Institute has been instrumental in generating the
modern cocktail of vitamins, steroids, physical education, and dietary
control that has benefitted man. While the average male height in 1900 was
approximately 5'8", it is today 6'3", with the typical time of running a
mile at around five and a half minutes. The Institute continues many
projects in research for the future, working to increase longevity toward
a lifespan of 200 years and to cure cancers and genetic weaknesses through
viral therapies. Of course, with such a surge of improved humans,
population control has become an integral matter, and sterilization toxins
are known to be placed in water-systems worldwide with reversal treatments
available primarily to those in the First World.
Author
says in reality Carnegie's instruction concluded, "to the improvement of
mankind". While dabbling in eugenics during its popular period between the
wars, CIW ended its Department of Genetics in 1944. The CIW researches
numerous fields such as plant molecular biology, developmental biology,
global ecology, astronomy, astrobiology, and many others. To view guest
historian's comments on this post please visit the
Today in Alternate History web site.
Jeff Provine, Guest Historian of
Today in Alternate History, a Daily Updating Blog of Important Events In
History That Never Occurred Today. Follow us on
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Imagine what would be, if history had occurred a bit
differently. Who says it didn't, somewhere? These fictional news items
explore that possibility. Possibilities such as America becoming a Marxist
superpower, aliens influencing human history in the 18th century and Teddy
Roosevelt winning his 3rd term as president abound in this interesting
fictional blog.

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