# Every Biological Invention Begins as a Perversion by J. B. S. Haldane > "The chemical or physical inventor is always a Prometheus. There is no great invention, from fire to flying, which has not been hailed as an insult to some god. But if every physical and chemical invention is a blasphemy, every biological invention is a perversion." > **— J. B. S. Haldane**, *1923 lecture; 1924, Daedalus, or Science and the Future* ## Sources and Context - **Full source:** [J. B. S. Haldane, Daedalus, or Science and the Future, complete transcription](https://bactra.org/Daedalus.html). Haldane contrasts public reactions to physical inventions with reactions to biological change. The 1923 lecture appeared in book form in 1924; the historical forecast is not a present-day technical accomplishment. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley|The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley]] - **Article:** [[articles/We Were Never Going to Make It|We Were Never Going to Make It]] - **Article:** [[articles/Technologies for Consciousness Mapping and Transfer|Technologies for Consciousness Mapping and Transfer]] - **Wiki map:** [[wiki/Synthetic Biology|Synthetic Biology]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Daedalus, or Science and the Future|Daedalus, or Science and the Future]] - [[wiki/Synthetic Biology|Synthetic Biology]] ## Share on Social Media ``` "The chemical or physical inventor is always a Prometheus. There is no great invention, from fire to flying, which has not been hailed as an insult to some god. But if every physical and chemical invention is a blasphemy, every biological invention is a perversion." — J. B. S. Haldane, 1923 lecture; 1924, Daedalus, or Science and the Future https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-haldane-biological-invention-perversion ```