Lewis Thomas
Biography of Lewis Thomas
Full Name and Common Aliases
Lewis Thomas was a renowned American physician, poet, etymologist, essayist, and educator. He is often referred to simply as Lewis Thomas, though his full name is Lewis Thomas.
Birth and Death Dates
Lewis Thomas was born on November 25, 1913, and he passed away on December 3, 1993.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Lewis Thomas was an American by nationality. His professional life was multifaceted, encompassing roles as a physician, researcher, educator, essayist, and poet. His diverse career allowed him to make significant contributions to both the scientific community and the literary world.
Early Life and Background
Lewis Thomas was born in Flushing, New York, into a family that valued education and intellectual pursuit. His father was a physician, which likely influenced Thomas's own career path in medicine. He attended Princeton University, where he earned his undergraduate degree, and later went on to study at Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1937. His early life was marked by a deep curiosity about the natural world, a trait that would define his career and writings.
Major Accomplishments
Throughout his career, Lewis Thomas made significant contributions to the field of medicine and science. He served as the Dean of Yale Medical School and later as the President of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. His leadership in these roles was characterized by a commitment to advancing medical research and education. Thomas was also a prolific writer, and his essays on science and medicine gained widespread acclaim for their insight and eloquence.
Notable Works or Actions
Lewis Thomas is perhaps best known for his collection of essays titled "The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher", published in 1974. This work won the National Book Award and is celebrated for its profound reflections on the interconnectedness of life. His other notable works include "The Medusa and the Snail", which also received the National Book Award, and "Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Mahler's Ninth Symphony". These essays explore complex scientific ideas with clarity and poetic grace, making them accessible to a broad audience.
Impact and Legacy
Lewis Thomas's impact extends beyond his scientific achievements; he is remembered for bridging the gap between science and the humanities. His ability to articulate the beauty and complexity of the natural world in a way that resonated with both scientists and laypeople alike has left a lasting legacy. His writings continue to inspire new generations of thinkers who seek to understand the world through a multidisciplinary lens. Thomas's work has influenced not only the field of medicine but also the broader cultural understanding of science.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Lewis Thomas is widely quoted and remembered for his unique ability to convey scientific concepts with poetic elegance. His essays often delve into the philosophical implications of scientific discoveries, prompting readers to reflect on the broader meaning of life and our place in the universe. His quotes are frequently cited for their wisdom and insight, offering timeless reflections on the human condition and the natural world. Thomas's legacy as a thinker who could seamlessly integrate science and literature ensures that his words continue to resonate with audiences today.
In summary, Lewis Thomas was a visionary whose work transcended disciplinary boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on both the scientific and literary communities. His writings remain a testament to the power of language to illuminate the wonders of the natural world and the complexities of human existence.
Quotes by Lewis Thomas
Lewis Thomas's insights on:
It is a distortion, with something profoundly disloyal about it, to picture the human being as a teetering, fallible contraption, always needing watching and patching, always on the verge of flapping to pieces.
We habitually engage in meddling with nature. Until this century most of this meddling was good. Witness the preservation of the European countryside. But since then we’ve smoked it up and littered it and dumped too much in too many waters. I don’t think it’s our privilege to behave this way.
It’s just plain learning something that you didn’t know. There is a real aesthetic experience in being dumbfounded.
We are, perhaps, uniquely among the earth’s creatures, the worrying animal. We worry away our lives, fearing the future, discontent with the present, unable to take in the idea of dying, unable to sit still.
Things are bound to begin happening if you’ve got your wits about you. You create the lucky accidents.
The oldest, easiest to swallow idea was that the earth was man’s personal property, a combination of garden, zoo, bank vault, and energy source, placed at our disposal to be consumed, ornamented, or pulled apart as we wished.
Altruism has always been one of biology’s deep mysteries. Why should any animal, off on its own, specified and labeled by all sorts of signals as its individual self, choose to give up its life in aid of someone else?
Altruism, a jargon word for what used to be called love, is worse than weakness, it is sin, a violation of nature. Be seperate. Do not be a social animal.
The uniformity of the earth’s life, more astonishing than its diversity, is accountable by the high probability that we derived, originally, from some single cell, fertilized in a bolt of lightning as the earth cooled.