John B. S. Haldane
Population genetics is the field most closely associated with J. B. S. Haldane, a biologist, physiologist, biochemist, geneticist, and philosopher whose working life touched on an unusually wide range of scientific disciplines.
John Burdon Sanderson Haldane was born on 5 November 1892 in Oxford. He attended the Dragon School and later the University of Oxford. Over the course of his career he worked as a university teacher and scientific collector, held United Kingdom citizenship, and subsequently acquired Indian citizenship. He died on 1 December 1964 in Bhubaneswar.
Haldane received a substantial number of honours during his lifetime. In physiology, he was awarded the Baly Medal and the Croonian Medal and Lecture. His work in genetics brought him the Darwin Medal, the Darwin–Wallace Medal, and the Kimber Genetics Award. Several European universities also recognised him with honorary doctorates: the University of Paris, the University of Poitiers, and the University of Groningen each conferred that distinction on him.
Haldane wrote in English throughout his career. His standing in the field is reflected in the Library of Congress Name Authority File, which records him as "Haldane, J. B. S. (John Burdon Sanderson), 1892–1964" — an archival entry that ties his name directly to population genetics as his defining area of work.
Quotes by John B. S. Haldane
It was a reaction from the old idea of “protoplasm”, a name which was a mere repository of ignorance.
Einstein – the greatest Jew since Jesus. I have no doubt that Einstein’s name will still be remembered and revered when Lloyd George, Foch and William Hohenzollern share with Charlie Chaplin that ineluctable oblivion which awaits the uncreative mind.
Haldane was engaged in discussion with an eminent theologian. “What inference,” asked the latter, “might one draw about the nature of God from a study of his works?” Haldane replied: “An inordinate fondness for beetles.”
Teleology is like a mistress to a biologist: he cannot live without her but he’s unwilling to be seen with her in public.
This is my prediction for the future: Whatever hasn’t happened will happen, and no one will be safe from it.
You can analyze a glass of water and you’re left with a lot of chemical components, but nothing you can drink.
It wasn’t until I had performed by first autopsy that I realized that even the drabest human exteriors could contain the most beautiful viscera. After that, I would console myself for the plainness of my fellow bus-riders by dissecting them in my imagination.
The universe is not only queerer than we suppose, it is queerer than we can suppose.
I have come to the conclusion that my subjective account of my motivation is largely mythical on almost all occasions. I don’t know why I do things.
We can fortell little of the future save that the thing that has not been is the thing that shall be.