Overview and Comments on "Oxford Portrait of Science: Mendel" - Recommended biography of Mendel, the Czech monk from Brno, Czech Republic, famous for Mendel's laws!
Introduced here is "Oxford Portrait of Science Mendel" written by Edward Edelson and translated by Mioko Nishida, published by Otsuki Shoten in 2008.
Let's take a quick look at the book.
The monk Mendel derived "Mendel's laws" by experimenting with plant crosses in the monastery garden. The principle, which forms the basis of genetics, was not appreciated during his lifetime. This book presents a lively account of Mendel's work, touching on its relevance to the present day, and how its rediscovery 16 years after his death as abbot opened a new era.
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Mendel is famous for his experiments on pea hybridization. Although I too had such an image of "Mendel's laws," I knew almost nothing about what era Mendel lived in and what kind of life he led.
The first thing that surprised me was the era in which he lived.
I have been learning about Dostoevsky, the great Russian writer, and to my surprise, Mendel was one year younger than Dostoevsky.
The year of his death was also three years after Dostoevsky's, making him a man who lived in almost the same era.
What was even more surprising was that Mendel was active in a monastery in Brno, Czech Republic.
At the time Mendel lived, the Czech Republic was part of the Austrian Empire, but today Brno is known as the second largest city in the Czech Republic.
I visited Prague, Czech Republic in 2019 and have been hooked on the charms of the Czech Republic ever since.
I was deeply surprised to learn that it was Mendel who was active in the Czech Republic.
At the beginning of this biography, the following is said about Mendel
The basic principles revealed by Mendel still form the foundation of genetics. Genetics is a science that is closely related to our daily lives, and has had a major impact not only on cloning and genetic manipulation, but also on medical activities. A modest man living in a corner of Europe secretly opened the door to the genetics of the 20th century without anyone knowing about it.
Who is Gregor Mendel? After his rediscovery, the world began to ask. But the perfect answer was nowhere to be found. Most of his notebooks and letters, which were his personal possessions, were burned by the abbot who succeeded him as abbot, as they were of little value. Moreover, Mendel was not a self-promoting man, and the quiet life he led in the monastery where he spent most of his life suited him well. As one science historian has said, "Mendel was a sober man. Mendel was a calm man. His main concern was with concrete facts, and he was rarely sentimental about anything.
However, he was well known to the people of Brno for his work at the monastery during his lifetime, and even in the 20th century, many of his acquaintances shared their memories of him. There were also letters exchanged with scientists. Occasionally, papers and letters written by or about Gregor Mendel have been found, and they continue to be found. （The following is a list of the letters and papers that were written by or about Gregor Mendel.)
Mendel's work has not faded to the present day, and research based on it is being conducted in many countries. And the story of Gregor Mendel's life as a man and a scientist continues to inspire many young scientists.
Because of the long time that elapsed between his death and rediscovery, it may be impossible to know everything about him. However, the surviving documents and acquaintances have vividly portrayed Mendel not only as a scientist, but also as a human being. This image of Mendel must be handed down to future generations for a long time to come.
Otsuki Shoten, Edward Edelson, Oxford Portrait of Science by Mendel, translated by Mioko Nishida, p. 5-10.
As noted here, Mendel published the results of his research before his death, but the world was left unaware of the true significance of his achievements.
The biography discusses a variety of factors that contributed to this neglect, including Mendel's own circumstances and personality. He was a monk who solemnly performed his duties rather than presenting himself to the world as a scientist.
Mendel's pea experiment and the term "Mendel's laws" are well-known to all.
But when it came down to it, Mendel himself was in a sense a blind spot.
It was very interesting to learn about Mendel's life and the historical background of the time through this biography. This is an interesting biography.
The "Oxford Portraits of Science" series has been featured on this blog in the past, but this series is truly a classic.
I found this introductory page at the end of the book, and it is exactly right.
Although compact in content, the lives and characteristics of the great men and women, as well as the background of the times, are explained in an easy-to-understand manner. We highly recommend this work.
This is "Oxford Portrait of Science: Mendel," a recommended biography of Mendel, the Czech monk from Brno, Czech Republic, famous for Mendel's Laws! The above is a recommended biography of Mendel, the Czech monk of Brno, famous for Mendel's laws!
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