Historical Context
Sturtevant accomplished most of his work between 1910 and World War II. These years saw both World War I and the Great Depression. Prior to WWII, universities and research programs operated under private donations; the federal government was not very involved in the funding of scientific research. Much research prior to WWII concerned the chemical nature of heredity. WWII changed the course of science. Focus was shifted away from biology and genetics to nuclear chemistry and physics. During and after WWII, the government became the key financial backer of scientific research, in the hopes that funding basic research would lead to technological advances. In this same time frame, Sturtevant was an outspoken opponent of eugenics and was interested in the effects of the atomic bomb on human populations, due to his previous research on lethal genes. He warned the public of possible harmful genetic effects of nuclear fallout despite supposedly low levels of ionizing radiation.
Read more about this topic: Alfred Sturtevant
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