Morgan Stanley: Jeanne McPartland
In Edison’s Footsteps: Nick Carnevale
Corrections or additions?
This article by Barbara Fox was published in U.S. 1 Newspaper on
October 20, 1999. All rights reserved.
Freeman Dyson: Ethics & Technology
California’s Silicon Valley, Massachusetts’ Route 128,
and Princeton’s U.S. 1 corridor are all centers for what futurist
Freeman Dyson calls “the new craft industries,” built
around computer software and biotechnology. It is the opportunity
to develop these kinds of craft industries in rural areas, he
predicts,
that will help bridge the gap between rich and poor.
Dyson, 75, is professor emeritus of physics at the Institute of
Advanced
Study and is a recipient of the national Book Critics Circle Award,
among many others. His latest book is based on a series of 1997
lectures
at the New York Public Library, “The Sun, the Genome, and the
Internet: Tools of Scientific Revolution” (Oxford University
Press,
$22). He speaks and signs the book on Thursday, October 21, at 6:30
p.m. at Princeton University Store. Call 609-921-8500.
In his 1996 book “Imagined Worlds,” Dyson dourly predicted
that developments in the information industry, biotechnology, and
neuro-technology would be “profoundly disruptive, likely to bypass
the poor and reward the rich. If technology continues along the
present
course, the poor will sooner or later rebel against the tyranny of
technology and turn to irrational and violent remedies.”
Now Dyson names the three technologies that he believes can work on
a human scale — solar energy, genetic engineering, and world wide
communication. Cottage industries in these three areas can help
villages
keep their young people at home and thus help cities from becoming
slums.
“To make gentrification possible, the villages themselves must
be a source of wealth. How can a godforsaken Mexican village become
a source of wealth? First, solar energy is distributed equitably over
the earth. Second, genetic engineering (with industrial crop plants)
can make solar energy usable everywhere for the local creation of
wealth. Third, the Internet can provide people in every village with
the information and skills they need to develop their talents. The
sun, the genome, and the Internet can work together to bring wealth
to the villages of Mexico, just as the older technology of electricity
and automobiles brought wealth to the villages of England.”
Solar energy must be produced on a large scale if it isto bring craft industries to third-world villages, and Dyson suggestsgenetically engineering trees that use sunlight to make fuel. Justas sugar cane is now converted into alcohol as a substitute forgasoline,so Dyson envisions tapping trees to produce an energy fuel. “Ifthe trees converted sunlight into fuel with 10 percent efficiency,landowners could sell the fuel for $10,000 per year per acre andeasilyundercut the present price of gasoline. Economic forces will thenmove industries from cities to the country.”Genetic engineering: Dyson believes genomic research wouldproceed more swiftly if the scientists in this field would behavemore like astronomers who fashion their own tools. “Two of theessential tools required for the next revolution in biology, thedesktopsequencer and the desktop protein microscope, do not exist. Why shouldbiologists wait for some physicist at the University of Washingtonto invent them and for some instrument company in Boston or Taiwanto sell them? They have here an opportunity to be leaders of arevolution,not only in biology but in the practice of medicine.”World-wide communication must solve the problem oflarge-scalearchitecture (to cover the globe, perhaps with the Teledesic systemof satellite communication) and of the last mile (to bring theInternetto every house, perhaps with Paul Baran’s Ricochet system,involvingsmall wireless transmitters and receivers). But first thetelecommunicationsindustry must put a higher priority on reaching the poor than oninventingtools for the rich.Dyson refers to the career path of one of his daughters,a cardiologist, when he inveighs against current priorities. Likedoctors who forgo strenuous jobs in public hospitals for morelucrativeprivate practices, telecommunications executives, he says, are morelikely to focus on new software products rather than on making currentprograms more widely accessible. “The top end of the market drivesthe development of new products and the new products remain out ofreach of the poor.”Still, Dyson is optimistic about how those working in thesethree fields could change society. “Ethics can push technologyin a new direction, away from toys for the rich and towardsnecessitiesfor the poor.”Dyson draws from books by his offspring — George B. Dyson’s”Darwin Among the Machines: the Evolution of GlobalIntelligence”and Esther Dyson’s “Release 2.0, A Design for Living inthe Digital Age.” He quotes books by two researchers associatedwith Princeton University: Edward Tenner’s “Why Things BiteBack: Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences,”and Lee M. Silver’s “Remaking Eden.”His theories are also illustrated by his experiences with famousscientistswho work in, or pass through, Princeton. Reading this elegantlywrittenvolume is like spending the evening with someone who “knowseverybodyin town” and — better yet — can put those people intoa global context.Dyson uses a visit from Alexander Wolszczan, a radio-astronomerfrom Penn State, to illustrate how the scientific process is supposedto work. In 1992 Wolszczan had used new software with old telescopesto discover the first family of extra-solar planets, and when hevisitedastronomers at Princeton, “The proceedings were informal andsuperficiallyfriendly, but there was high tension in the air. Each astronomer whodoubted the reality of Wolszczan’s planets took a turn as prosecutingattorney. Wolszczan came through the ordeal victorious, (his) skilland integrity overcoming all opposition from his more seniorcolleagues.”Among Dyson’s intriguing theories concerns the liberation of women.He refers to Tenner’s idea that a step forward in technology for sometends to bring an unexpected step backward for others. In this vein,the invention of household appliances liberated the servants but hada deleterious effect on the academic careers of women. In the 1950s,middle class women had far less time, he theorizes, for academic andother pursuits. “To achieve even partial liberation, women havereplaced the old domestic servants with day-care centers, cleaningladies, and au pair girls imported from overseas.”Dyson documents his position by citing the dismaying record of womenin the very prestigious permanent faculty positions at the Institutefor Advanced Study: One woman was an original faculty member in the1930s, but it was not until 1985 that a second woman received apermanentappointment.– Barbara FoxTop Of PageMorgan Stanley: Jeanne McPartlandGo where the investors are. That’s a good marketingmodel, one being followed by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, which plansfor several satellite offices, all emanating from its Lenox Driveheadquarters. Jeanne R. McPartland will open one at theMontgomery Center, on the second floor of the Sovereign Bank building, on Wednesday, October 20, at 5 p.m. The festivities will move to theCherry ValleyCountry Club at 6 p.m., where McPartland will join two other financialadvisors, N. Chris Pratico and Edward Kubick, to discuss”Wealth Building Strategies for the New Millennium.” Bothevents are free; call 609-688-3250.Jeanne Rothar McPartland grew up in New York City, majored ineducationat St. John’s University, Class of 1969, and earned a master’s fromBuffalo State. After teaching high school biology she took graduatebusiness courses at the University of Toledo and switched careers.”In teaching, I had learned a lot of good platform skills, andI had a natural tendency to financial services,” says McPartland.”I had a deep interest in the stock market because as a very youngperson I had my own portfolio,” she says. McPartland had beenmanager of Dean Witter’s Palmer Square office when it moved to LenoxDrive; then she had the job of associate national marketing directorfor personal trusts and 401k plans at a national office in JerseyCity. Governor Christie Whitman appointed her as a public member ofthe state board of accountancy. McPartland lives in Bedminster withher husband, who works for J&J’s OrthoDiagnostics. They have threechildren, two in college and one in medical school.McPartland leased this 1,400 square foot-office through Hilton Realty.She has two assistants and three “registered representatives”or brokers for this full service brokerage. Clients who prefer todo their own trading are referred to another Morgan Stanley DeanWitterentity, Discover Brokerage.Why Montgomery? “We did a number of demographic studies anddeterminedthat it is one of the fastest growing townships and has one of thehigher per capita incomes.” The company is also consideringexpansionsto downtown Princeton, Pennington, Flemington, and Freehold.Top Of PageIn Edison’s Footsteps: Nick CarnevaleA community leader, a successful alumnus, and ahigh-techentrepreneur will receive Spirit of Edison Awards at the GreatHalloweenBall to be staged by Thomas Edison State College on Saturday, October30, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hyatt. The awards will be presented toNicholasL. Carnevale, John McCann, and Alfred E. Mann. Costumesand/ormasks are optional for the silent auction, cocktails, dinner, dancingand entertainment. $250.After retiring as chairman of the Walter B. Howe insurance company,Carnevale set up his own consulting practice. He has been on thecollege’sboard of directors for 13 years and was chairman for five years.”Itis Nick’s enthusiastic `spirit’ for Thomas Edison State College thathas enabled him to encourage board members to actively participatein the many spectacular events and fund-raisers sponsored by thecollegeover the years,” says George Pruitt, president of thecollege.McCann majored in finance at the college, Class of 1990, and ismanagingdirector and chief operating officer for New York-based Lynch, Jones& Ryan Inc. He is chairman of the college’s “Investing inPerformance”campaign committee.Mann, who lives in Los Angeles and has bachelor’s and master’s degreesfrom UCLA, founded his first business in 1956. In all, he founded,financed, and operated six technology companies including fourbiotechs– Pacesetter, Siemens InfusionSystems, MiniMed Inc., and AdvancedBionics, plus two other companies, one in electrophysics and the otherin semiconductors. Pacesetter is now the second largest company inthe pacemaker industry. Mann worked with Siemens when he soldPacesetterto Siemens, and this partnership resulted in the development of ahospital infusion pump. Minimed produces implantable pumps used by60,000 diabetics. Advanced Bionics is working in the area ofstimulatinghearing in deaf people. Scientists at his foundation produced thetechnology that resulted in the cochlear hearing implant.”The awards are presented to recognize community leaders andalumniwhose creativity, commitment, and entrepreneurial spirit reflect thepioneering genius of Thomas Alva Edison,” says Pruitt. Pruitt,who is quite a community leader himself, has just been elected tothe top volunteer position at the Mercer County Chamber of Commerce.Top Of PageDonate PleaseThe March of Dimes hopes to raise $40,000 this yearby selling its “Blue Jeans for Babies” button or stickers,which entitle wearers to dress-down at work. Each button costs $5,which goes to research in gene therapy, prevention of premature labor,and prenatal care. T-shirts can also be purchased for $10. Corporatesponsor Source One Personnel in Lawrenceville and Princeton is alsooffering all BJFB participating companies one free hour of tempservicefor every $100 they raise. Call 609-655-7400, extension 207.Top Of PageDonate PleaseLawrenceville’s Main Street Project is hoping to raisemoney for further civic improvement in downtown Lawrenceville bysellingengraved bricks. The bricks will be installed and extend along MainStreet from the intersection with Craven Lane to Gordon Avenue. Call609-219-9300.Previous StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
