CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

DIVISION OF BIOLOGY

April 18. 1959

Dear Josh:

Matt Meselson is interested, but is not able to attend the meeting at
Pacific Grove. I promised to let him know when we meet again.

I don't mind a 2-day meeting if ysu can get enough people to come.
Let me or Dick know the final decision.

The idea of a detailed prospectus on space biology sounds good for
several reasons, among which is the fact that it would help focus aur
own thinking. I think it could be a useful thing to do.

The following are some points you might consider for the agenda:

1. Roger's promised resort on the vertical distribution of spores in
the atmosphere. In this connection, is anything being done about
collecting samples by sounding rocket? This could be very interesting.

2. Some kind of infra-red measurements will doubtless be among the first
"biological" experiments. We should also consdder the possibility
that additional information might be obtained by observations in
the visible and u.v. It may be that nothing can be done in the
visible that cannot be done better from terrestrial observatories,
but we should be assured about this. I believe that Richardson,
who used to be at Mt. Wilson, but is now Ass't. Director of the
Griffith Planetarium in Los Angeles, once made some spectroscopic
measurements in the visible on Mars. It may not be too late to
invite him. He is interested in the life-on-Mars question.

3. In connection with measurements in the u.v., there is the vossibility
that substances of biological interest fluoresce in the u.v. Since
Mars presumably has no ozone, such fluorescence could be detected
from outside our ozone screen. Some preliminary laboratory experi-
ments may be indicated here. I vaguely recall that Franck has done
mething along these lines. Could Kees say something about this?

4. It is not too early to plan experiments to be done on the surface of
the moon. Our seismologists are already designing instruments to
be placed on the moon. Why not try to get Alter, from the Griffith
Planetarium, to come to a meeting? Let's find out if there is a
schedule of moonshots for the next couple of years, and what pay-
loads are expected.

Be seeing you,

_ Pow

Norm