Ben Eder UofO Scholarship Essay If you could have participated in one discovery, invention, or historical event, what would it be and why? It would have been wonderful to have been involved in the discovery and description of DNA, or Deoxyribonucleic Acid. This find has done more for the advancement of human understanding than any other recent, documented discovery. James Watson and Francis Crick earned the Nobel prize for their work and I would have been honored to have been with them. The knowledge of DNA has led to countless advances in medicine, law, and sociology and promises many more. More important than new drugs and cures is the potential to gain a comprehensive understanding of why humans act the way they do. With continued research it may be possible to reduce the need for psychotherapists and physicians. In the past we have studied the effects of DNA. It is now possible to study cause of these effects, DNA itself. If we can pinpoint the genes that are responsible for each action we take, these actions can be predicted, making psychology a more valid science. If we are able to alter the DNA to be more effective in fighting disease, then harmful side-effects of many medicines could be eliminated. The potential may not yet be fully realized, but this discovery has and will lead to many great things. Not only does this remarkable discovery help us to understand the present, it aids in our understanding of our past. DNA is the best supporting evidence for Darwin’s theory of evolution that has ever been found. It also helps us to understand past cultural differences and to free innocent individuals from prison or death row. Born seventy years too late to have been involved in its inception, I still hope to contribute to the evolution of DNA knowledge. There is much work to be done, and it is my sincere desire to be involved.