Jean Edmond Cyrus Rostand (30 October 1894,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

– 4 September 1977,

Ville-d'Avray Ville-d'Avray () is a Communes of France, commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre zero, centre of Paris. The commune is part of the arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt in the Hauts-de-Seine Department ...

) was a French

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

, historian of science, and

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

. Active as an experimental biologist, Rostand became famous for his work as a

science writer Science journalism conveys reporting about science to the public. The field typically involves interactions between scientists, journalists, and the public. Origins Modern science journalism dates back to ''Digdarshan'' (means showing the di ...

, as well as a

and an activist. His scientific work covered a variety of biological fields such as

amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...

embryology Embryology (from Greek ἔμβρυον, ''embryon'', "the unborn, embryo"; and -λογία, '' -logia'') is the branch of animal biology that studies the prenatal development of gametes (sex cells), fertilization, and development of embryos and ...

parthenogenesis Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development ...

and teratogeny, while his literary output extended into popular science,

history of science The history of science covers the development of science from ancient times to the present. It encompasses all three major branches of science: natural, social, and formal. Science's earliest roots can be traced to Ancient Egypt and Meso ...

and philosophy. His work in the area of

cryogenics In physics, cryogenics is the production and behaviour of materials at very low temperatures. The 13th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration (held in Washington DC in 1971) endorsed a universal definition of “cryogenics” and “cr ...

gave the idea of

cryonics Cryonics (from el, κρύος ''kryos'' meaning 'cold') is the low-temperature freezing (usually at ) and storage of human remains, with the speculative hope that resurrection may be possible in the future. Cryonics is regarded with skepticis ...

Robert Ettinger Robert Chester Wilson Ettinger (December 4, 1918 – July 23, 2011) was an American academic, known as "the father of cryonics" because of the impact of his 1962 book ''The Prospect of Immortality''. Ettinger founded the Cryonics Institute ...

. He took an interest in ethics and morality in biology and wrote against pseudoscience, the use of science for war, wrote against racism and supported human equality and freedom.

Rostand Island Rostand Island is a rocky island 400 m long and 200 m south-east of Petrel Island (Antarctica), Petrel Island in the Geologie Archipelago of Antarctica. It was charted in 1951 by the French Antarctic Expedition and named by them for Jean ...

in Antarctica is named after him.

Biography

Rostand was born in Paris to

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...

and

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

Rosemonde Gérard Louise-Rose-Étiennette Gérard, known as Rosemonde Gérard (April 5, 1871, Paris – July 8, 1953, Paris) was a French poet and playwright. She was the wife of Edmond Rostand (1868–1918, author of ''Cyrano de Bergerac''), and was a granddaugh ...

. He was the brother of novelist and playwright

Maurice Rostand Maurice Rostand (26 May 1891 – 21 February 1968) was a French author, the son of the poet and dramatist Edmond Rostand and the poet Rosemonde Gérard, and brother of the biologist Jean Rostand. Rostand was a writer of poems, novels, and plays. ...

. His paternal grandfather Eugène Rostand had been a political scientist and economist. The family moved to

Cambo-les-Bains Cambo-les-Bains (; eu, Kanbo) is a town in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It lies on the south-western bank of the river Nive. Cambo-les-Bains station has rail c ...

in 1900 and Rostand grew up with a fascination for natural history in these surroundings. He was educated by home tutors and read the works of J. H. Fabre, Claude Bernard and Charles Darwin. He then went to study natural sciences at the

University of Sorbonne , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

and graduated in 1914. Rostand's biological research began with work on paedogenesis in flies, studies on silkworms and dragonflies before beginning to work on embryology in frogs. In 1910 he was able to induce parthenogenesis in the eggs of ''Rana temporaria''. He then examined

polydactyly Polydactyly or polydactylism (), also known as hyperdactyly, is an anomaly in humans and animals resulting in supernumerary fingers and/or toes. Polydactyly is the opposite of oligodactyly (fewer fingers or toes). Signs and symptoms In humans ...

and its induction by chemical agents in frogs and studied the preservation of sperm vitality using glycerine. He also examined the determination of sex in frogs. For his work in biology he received the Henry de Parville Prize in 1934 and the Binoux Prize in 1941. Following in the footsteps of his father, Rostand was elected to the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

in 1959. Rostand was active in several causes, in particular against

nuclear proliferation Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons, fissionable material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information to nations not recognized as " Nuclear Weapon States" by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Wea ...

and the

death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

. An

agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...

, he demonstrated humanist convictions. He wrote several books on the question of

eugenism Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or ...

and the responsibilities of mankind regarding its own fate and its place in nature. Rostand took a special interest in the history of science and especially stressed the slow process by which scientific facts were determined and how they emerged from the interactions of numerous people and highlighted the need for modesty, especially because of the fallibility of individual workers. For his work in the popularization of science he received a

Kalinga Prize The Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science is an award given by UNESCO for exceptional skill in presenting scientific ideas to lay people. It was created in 1952, following a donation from Biju Patnaik, Founder President of the Kalinga ...

in 1959. Rostand is famous for the quotation: "Kill one man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill them all, and you are a God" from ''Thoughts of a Biologist'', 1938. In the preface of the 1959 Italian edition of his ''Artificial man'', Rostand foresaw artificial

oviparity Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and m ...

, gender mutation, virgin births, as well as DNA modifications before and after the birth. Rostand married a cousin Andrée Mante in 1920 and they had a son François who became a mathematician. After 1922 he set up a laboratory in his home at Ville d’Avray and began to conduct most of his research there, free of institutional demands. He would meet people from a wide range of interests at his home on Sundays. He died following prolonged ill-health at home.

Works

* ''Le retour des pauvres '', 1919 - ''Return of the poor'' * ''La loi des riches'', 1920 - ''The law of the rich'' * ''Pendant qu’on souffre encore'', 1921 - ''While suffering endures'' * ''Ignace ou l'Écrivain '', 1923 - ''Ignace or the writer'' * ''Deux angoisses : la mort, l’amour'', 1924 - ''Two anguishes: love and death'' * ''De la vanité et de quelques autres sujets '', 1925 - ''Of vanity and several other subjects'' * ''Les familiotes et autres essais de mystique bourgeoise'', 1925 - ''The familiotes and other essays of the bourgeois mystique'' * ''De l’amour des idées '', 1926 - ''On the love of ideas'' * ''Le mariage'', 1927 - ''Marriage'' * ''Valère ou l’Exaspéré'', 1927 - ''Valère or The exasperated '' * ''Julien ou Une conscience'', 1928 - ''Julien or A conscience'' * ''Les chromosomes, artisans de l’hérédité et du sexe'', 1929 - ''Chromosomes, artisans of heredity and sex'' * ''De la mouche à l’Homme'', 1930 - ''From fly to man'' * ''L’état présent du transformisme'', 1931 - ''The current state of transformism'' * ''Journal d’un caractère'', 1931 - ''Journal of a character'' * ''L’Évolution des espèces'', 1932 - ''The evolution of species'' * ''Les problèmes de l’hérédité et du sexe'', 1933 - ''The problems of heredity and sex'' * ''L’aventure humaine'', 1933 - ''The human adventure'' * ''La vie des libellules'', 1935 - ''The life of dragonflies'' * ''Insectes'', 1936 - ''Insects'' * ''La nouvelle biologie'', 1937 - ''The new biology'' * ''Biologie et médecine'', 1938 - ''Biology and medicine'' * ''Hérédité et racisme'', 1938 - ''Heredity and racism'' * ''Pensée d’un biologiste'', 1938 - ''Thoughts from a biologist'' * ''La vie et ses problèmes'', 1938 - ''Life and its problems'' * ''Science et génération'', 1940 - ''Science and generation'' * ''Les idées nouvelles de la génétique'', 1941 - ''New ideas in genetics'' * ''L’Homme, introduction à l’étude de la biologie humaine '', 1941 - ''Man, introduction to the study of human biology'' * ''L’Homme, maître de la vie'', 1941 - ''Man, master of life'' * ''Hommes de vérité 1942 - ''Men of truth'' * ''L’avenir de la biologie'', 1943 - ''The future of biology'' * ''La genèse de la vie, histoire des idées sur la génération spontanée '', 1943 - ''Genesis of life, a history of the ideas on spontaneous generation'' * ''La vie des vers à soie '', 1944 - ''The life of silkworms'' * ''Esquisse d’une histoire de la biologie '', 1945 - ''Sketch of a history of biology'' * ''L’avenir de la biologie'', 1946 - ''The future of biology'' * ''Qu’est-ce qu’un enfant ?'', 1946 - ''What is a child?'' * ''Charles Darwin'', 1947 * ''Nouvelles pensées d’un biologiste'', 1947 - ''New thoughts from a biologist'' * ''L’hérédité humaine '', 1948 - ''Human heredity'' * ''Hommes de vérité II '', 1948 - ''Men of truth II'' * ''La biologie et l’avenir humain'', 1949 - ''Biology and the human future'' * ''L’Homme devant la biologie'', 1949 - ''Man facing biology'' * ''La parthénogenèse, reproduction virginale chez les animaux'', 1949 - ''Parthenogenesis, virginal reproduction in animals'' * ''La parthénogenèse animale'', 1949 - ''Animal parthenogenesis'' * ''La génétique des batraciens'', 1951 - ''Batrachian genetics'' * ''Les grands courants de la biologie '', 1951 - ''Great trends in biology'' * ''Les origines de la biologie expérimentale et l’abbé Spallanzani'', 1951 - ''The origins of experimental biology and the Abbé Spallanzani'' * ''L’hérédité humaine'', 1952 - ''Human heredity'' * ''Pages d’un moraliste '', 1952 - ''Pages by a moralist'' * ''Ce que nous apprennent les crapauds et les grenouilles'', 1953 - ''What toads and frogs teach us'' * ''La vie, cette aventure'', 1953 - ''Life, that adventure'' * ''Ce que je crois'', 1953 - ''What I believe'' * ''Instruire sur l’Homme'', 1953 - ''To instruct on Man'' * ''Notes d’un biologiste '', 1954 - ''Notes from a biologist'' * ''Les crapauds et les grenouilles et quelques grands problèmes biologiques'', 1955 - ''Toads, frogs and a few great problems in biology'' * ''Le problème biologique de l’individu'', 1955 - ''The biological problem of the individual'' * ''L’Homme en l’an 2000'', 1956 - ''Man in the year 2000'' * ''Peut-on modifier l’Homme?'', 1956 - ''Can we modify Man?'' * ''L’atomisme en biologie'', 1956 - ''Atomism in biology'' * ''Bestiaire d’amour'', 1958 - ''A bestiary of love'' * ''Aux sources de la biologie'', 1958 - ''At the sources of biology'' * ''Anomalies des amphibiens anoures'', 1958 - ''Anomalies of anurian amphibians'' * ''Science fausse et fausses sciences'', 1958 - ''Erroneous science and false science'' * ''Les origines de la biologie expérimentale'', 1959 - ''Origins of experimental biology'' * ''Carnet d’un biologiste'', 1959 - ''Notepad of a biologist'' * ''Espoirs et inquiétudes de l’homme'', 1959 - ''The hopes and worries of Man''

References

External links

Jean Rostand "homme de vérité"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rostand, Jean 1894 births 1977 deaths Writers from Paris 20th-century French philosophers Philosophers of science Members of the Académie Française French science writers French male non-fiction writers French eugenicists French agnostics Kalinga Prize recipients 20th-century French male writers Historians of science

Biography

Works

References

Further reading

External links