SCIENTISTS AND THE CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000800010022-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 3, 1999
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: April 13, 1962
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

SCIE'NgEc Vol. 136. No. 35111 April 13.i 1962
Approved For Release, 1999/09/17: CIA-RbP75-001'49R00
On 24'January I was visit4i by a
representative of the Central Intelli-
gence Agency. He asked me for infor-
I mation about the direction being taken
by certain foreign scientists in the field
of neurophysiology. I felt I should not
scientific community does not become
involved. As the scope of these agencies
enlarges, anything can become grist for
their mill; let us hope that academic
makes necessary the existence of unfor-
tunate 'agencies such as the CIA, but
A Scientists and the CIA
L,
my reasons with hint, and he left
A request of this type place a mem-
ber of a university faculty in a very
difficult position. Any knowledge or
skill one has is freely available; if a
colloague had asked me the CIA ques-
tions I would have replied without hesi-
tation. But there must he another side
of .._..a_......, free --h?
one should reasonably ask the questionn-
r to share the came ethics and tell you
J specifically for what purpose he intends
to use your information, if one is re-
sponsible for the information one hapds
p out, One is also partially responsible for
any use to which it is put. A professor's
;duty is to profess, but he must remain
of a relationship between scientists and
-'A the CIA wpi,tid he to limit the freedom
)of discussiub between American and
foreign coilqigues. No one speaks to
an official, ,however synipat'hetic. :ts
freely as oIp. speaks to a friend. We
the experience of talking.
Waists who were certainly
,!ii;fence agents and part-
, as. to he a trisesty of
;ilscussion. Any general
/nitrate questioning by the
tilts, in fields. such as the
which Are normally free of
fictions. increases the dan-
is foreign colleagues as
~?; . ri r. as these colleague
state of the worl
have all hr
to foreign )
part-tim,41
0':` tipte `s4&
ti ", :ate': stn a
e4;'"1 the ur,
PATRICK D. WALL
Department of Biology, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge
CPYRGHT
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