Norman Horowitz | |
|---|---|
 Horowitz in 1986 | |
| Born | March 19, 1915 |
| Died | June 1, 2005 (aged 90) |
| Education | University of Pittsburgh, Caltech (Ph.D. 1939) |
| Known for | Devising experiments to test for life on Mars. |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena; Caltech |
| Doctoral advisor | Albert Tyler |
| Other academic advisors | George W. Beadle |
Norman Harold Horowitz (March 19, 1915 – June 1, 2005) was an American geneticist at Caltech who achieved national fame as the scientist who devised experiments to determine whether life might exist on Mars. His experiments were carried out by the Viking Lander of 1976, the first U.S. mission to successfully land an unmanned probe on the surface of Mars.[1][2]
Horowitz was a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1965 he began work with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, serving for five years as chief of JPL's bioscience section and as a member of the science teams for the Mariner and Viking missions to Mars. From 1977 to 1980, he was chairman of the biology division at Caltech.
Since 2013, Horowitz was listed on the Advisory Council of the National Center for Science Education.[3]
Among advocates of space exploration, he was noted for his opposition to a space program centered on the use of human astronauts. Charlene Anderson recalls, "In personal discussions, he could be particularly vociferous on the topic of human versus robotic exploration. Norm argued that human exploration could only interfere with scientific exploration and confuse the public as to why we should explore space. In his view, science should drive the endeavor, not a lust for adventure."
- ^ Horowtiz, N. (1987). "Man on Mars: A Turnabout". Science. 238 (4823): 10–11. Bibcode:1987Sci...238...10L. doi:10.1126/science.3659898. PMID 3659898.
- ^ Metzenberg RL (December 2005). "Norman Harold Horowitz, 1915-2005". Genetics. 171 (4): 1445–8. doi:10.1093/genetics/171.4.1445. PMC 1456073. PMID 16371517.
- ^ "Advisory Council". ncse.com. National Center for Science Education. Archived from the original on 2013-08-10. Retrieved 2018-10-30.