Scotophobin: Darkness at the Dawn of the Search for Memory Molecules
This book chronicles the apparent discovery of "memory
molecules" in 1965, the loss of credibility that plagued those
finding, and the subsequent triumphant discovery of the neuroactive
peptides, including endorphins, which followed in their wake. The
story is told in the context of the historical development of
neuroscience as a field, with emphasis on research aimed at
uncovering the brain mechanisms of learning and memory, roughly
from 1950 to 1980, when the revolution in the scientific study of
brain function was getting underway. A series of biographical
vignettes paint the background and set the stage. Once introduced,
the characters recur as their personal histories intertwine with
the scientific story that unfolds. This seminal episode in the
history of neuroscience flows smoothly for the lay reader as an
engaging story of the clash between personalities, conventional
wisdom, and unconventional explanations, supplemented by an essay
with extensive documentation for the historian interested in this
curious episode in the early years of neuroscience.
Louis Neal Irwin is Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso. He has written over seventy papers and reviews on the topics of neurobiology, astrobiology, and evolution. He is co-author of Life in the Universe: Expectations and Constraints.
