Editing Stephen Jay Gould (section)

==Biography==
[[File:Tyrannosaurus AMNH 5027.jpg|right|thumb|260px|Gould's inspiration to become a paleontologist: ''T. rex'' specimen [[Specimens of Tyrannosaurus#AMNH 5027|AMNH 5027]], [[American Museum of Natural History]], New York City]]

Stephen Jay Gould was born in [[Queens]], [[New York (state)|New York]], on September 10, 1941. His father Leonard was a [[Court reporter|court stenographer]] and a [[World War II]] veteran of the [[United States Navy]]. His mother Eleanor was an artist, whose parents were [[Jewish]] immigrants living and working in the city's [[Garment District, New York City|Garment District]].<ref name="nhessay300">{{cite journal | last1 = Gould | first1 = S. J. | year = 2001 | title = I have landed | url = http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/htmlsite/master.html?http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/htmlsite/features/1200_feature.html | journal = Natural History | volume = 109 | issue = 10 | pages = 46–59 | df = mdy-all | access-date = June 1, 2018 }}</ref> Gould and his younger brother Peter were raised in [[Bayside, Queens|Bayside]], a middle-class neighborhood in the northeastern section of Queens.<ref>{{cite news |title=Peter D. Gould, 50, Broadway Designer |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/18/obituaries/peter-d-gould-50-broadway-designer.html |work=The New York Times |date=October 18, 1994}}</ref> He attended [[List of public elementary schools in New York City#Region 3: Queens|P.S. 26]] elementary school and graduated from [[Jamaica High School]].<ref name="Yoon">{{cite news |last=Yoon |first=Carol Kaesuk |title=Stephen Jay Gould, 60, Is Dead; Enlivened Evolutionary Theory |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/21/us/stephen-jay-gould-60-is-dead-enlivened-evolutionary-theory.html |work=The New York Times |date=May 21, 2002}}</ref>

When Gould was five years old his father took him to the Hall of Dinosaurs in the [[American Museum of Natural History]], where he first encountered ''[[Tyrannosaurus rex]]''. "I had no idea there were such things—I was awestruck," Gould once recalled.<ref name=Green86>Green, Michelle (1986). [http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/green_sjgould.html "Stephen Jay Gould: driven by a hunger to learn and to write".] ''People'' '''25''' (June 2): 109–114.</ref> It was in that moment that he decided to become a paleontologist.<ref>Milner, Richard (1990). ''The Encyclopedia of Evolution''. NY: Facts on File, [http://www.stephenjaygould.org/biography.html p. 198.]</ref>

Raised in a [[Jewish culture|secular Jewish]] home, Gould did not formally practice religion and preferred to be called an [[agnostic]].<ref>In a [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p005479y January 25, 2001 interview] for [[BBC Radio 4]] Gould stated, "Atheists can be highly moral people, I trust. I am myself." (27m:37s); Biologist [[Jerry Coyne]]—who had Gould on his thesis committee—described him as a "diehard atheist if there ever was one." (Sam Harris 2015. [http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/faith-vs.-fact/ "Faith vs. Fact: An Interview with Jerry Coyne."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006211725/http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/faith-vs.-fact|date=October 6, 2015}} May 19. [12m:22s] samharris.org.) Gould's close friend [[Oliver Sacks]] labeled Gould a "Jewish atheist". (Oliver Sacks 2006. "Introduction." ''The Richness of Life''. W. W. Norton, [[iarchive:richnessoflifees0000goul/page/8|p. 8.]])</ref> When asked directly if he was an agnostic in [[Skeptic (U.S. magazine)|''Skeptic'']] magazine, he responded:

{{blockquote|If you absolutely forced me to bet on the existence of a conventional anthropomorphic deity, of course I'd bet no. But, basically, [[Thomas Henry Huxley|Huxley]] was right when he said that agnosticism is the only honorable position because we really cannot know. And that's right. I'd be real surprised if there turned out to be a conventional God.}}

Though he "had been brought up by a [[Marxism|Marxist]] father"<ref>Gould, S. J. (1995). [https://www.edge.org/documents/ThirdCulture/i-Ch.2.html "The Pattern of Life's History."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430233503/https://www.edge.org/documents/ThirdCulture/i-Ch.2.html |date=April 30, 2019 }} In John Brockman (ed.) [https://www.edge.org/documents/ThirdCulture/d-Contents.html ''The Third Culture''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430233504/https://www.edge.org/documents/ThirdCulture/d-Contents.html |date=April 30, 2019 }}. New York: Simon & Schuster, p. 60.</ref> he stated that his father's politics were "very different" from his own.<ref name=SET>Gould, S. J. (2002). ''[[The Structure of Evolutionary Theory]]''. Cambridge: Belknap Press of [[Harvard University Press]], p. 1018. {{ISBN|0-674-00613-5}}</ref> In describing his own political views, he has said they "tend to the left of center".<ref name="Gould_dep">Gould, S. J. (1981). {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20021016043451/http://www.antievolution.org/projects/mclean/new_site/depos/pf_gould_dep.htm "Official Transcript for Gould’s deposition in McLean v. Arkansas."]}} (Nov. 27). Under oath Gould stated: "My political views tend to the left of center. Q. Could you be more specific about your political views? A. I don't know how to be. I am not a joiner, so I am not a member of any organization. So I have always resisted labeling. But if you read my other book, ''The Mismeasure of Man'', which is not included because it is not about evolution, you will get a sense of my political views." p. 153.</ref> According to Gould the most influential political books he read were [[C. Wright Mills]]' ''[[The Power Elite]]'' and the political writings of [[Noam Chomsky]].<ref name="Gould_dep"/>

While attending [[Antioch College]] in [[Yellow Springs, Ohio]], in the early 1960s, Gould was active in the [[civil rights movement]] and often campaigned for [[social justice]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Perez | first1 = Myrna | year = 2013 | title = Evolutionary Activism: Stephen Jay Gould, the New Left and Sociobiology | url = https://www.docdroid.net/XjZM7Gv/stephen-gould-and-new-left-145q.pdf | journal = Endeavour | volume = 37 | issue = 2| pages = 104–11 | doi = 10.1016/j.endeavour.2012.10.002 | pmid = 23643447 }}</ref> When he attended the [[University of Leeds]] as a visiting undergraduate, he organized weekly demonstrations outside a [[Bradford]] dance hall which refused to admit [[black people]]. Gould continued these demonstrations until the policy was revoked.<ref>Gasper, Phil (2002). [http://www.isreview.org/issues/24/gould.shtml "Stephen Jay Gould:] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124063436/http://www.isreview.org/issues/24/gould.shtml |date=November 24, 2015 }} [[Dialectical Biologist]]". ''International Socialist Review'' '''24''' (July–August).</ref> Throughout his career and writings, he spoke out against [[Oppression|cultural oppression]] in all its forms, especially what he saw as the [[pseudoscience]] used in the service of racism and [[sexism]].<ref>[[Richard Lewontin|Lewontin, Richard]] and [[Richard Levins]] (2002). [http://www.monthlyreview.org/1102lewontin.htm "Stephen Jay Gould—what does it mean to be a radical?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317030153/http://www.monthlyreview.org/1102lewontin.htm |date=March 17, 2011 }} ''Monthly Review'' 54 (Nov. 1).</ref>

Interspersed throughout his scientific essays for ''Natural History'' magazine, Gould frequently referred to his non-scientific interests and pastimes. As a boy he collected [[baseball card]]s and remained an avid [[New York Yankees]] fan throughout his life.<ref name="mudville">Gould, S. J. (2003). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=XIJ-ay4GJ_kC&pg=PA Triumph and Tragedy in Mudville]''. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. See his essays: [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/4337 "The Streak of Streaks."]</ref> As an adult he was fond of [[science fiction film|science fiction]] movies, but often lamented their poor [[storytelling]] and presentation of science.<ref>Gould, S. J. (1993). [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2483 "Dinomania".] ''New York Review of Books'' 40 (August 12): 51–56.</ref> His other interests included singing [[baritone]] in the [[Boston Cecilia]], and he was a great aficionado of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] operas.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Gould | first1 = S. J. | year = 2000 | title = The True Embodiment of Everything That's Excellent: The Strange Adventure of Gilbert and Sullivan | url = http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_gilbert-sullivan.html | journal = The American Scholar | volume = 69 | issue = 20 | pages = 35–49 | access-date = August 11, 2016 | archive-date = April 30, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190430233506/http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_gilbert-sullivan.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> He collected [[Book collecting|rare antiquarian books]], possessed an enthusiasm for [[architecture]], and delighted in city walks. He often traveled to Europe, and spoke [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Russian language|Russian]], and [[Italian language|Italian]]. He sometimes alluded ruefully to his tendency to put on weight.<ref>Gould, S. J. (1983). ''[[Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes]]''. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. {{ISBN|0-393-31103-1}}.</ref>

=== Marriage and family ===
Gould married artist Deborah Lee on October 3, 1965.<ref name="Yoon"/> Gould met Lee while they were students together at [[Antioch College]].<ref name=Green86/> They had two sons, Jesse and Ethan, and were married for 30 years.<ref>Golden, Frederic (1996) [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-10-08-ls-51756-story.html "A Kinder, Gentler Stephen Jay Gould"] ''Los Angeles Times'' Oct 8.</ref> His second marriage in 1995 was to artist and sculptor [[Rhonda Roland Shearer]].<ref name="Yoon"/>

===First bout of cancer===
In July 1982 Gould was diagnosed with [[peritoneal mesothelioma]], a deadly form of cancer affecting the [[Human abdomen|abdominal lining]] (the [[peritoneum]]). This cancer is frequently found in people who have ingested or inhaled [[asbestos]] fibers, a mineral which was used in the construction of Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology.<ref>Rose, Steve (2002). [https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/may/22/medicalscience.internationaleducationnews Obituary: Stephen Jay Gould.] ''The Guardian'' May 22.</ref><ref>Titus, Janet (1983). [http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1983/1/24/safety-precautions-for-asbestos-taken-at/ "Safety Precautions for Asbestos Taken at MCZ."] ''The Harvard Crimson'' January 24.</ref> After a difficult two-year recovery, Gould published a column for ''[[Discover (magazine)|Discover]]'' magazine in 1985 titled "The Median Isn't the Message", which discusses his reaction to reading that "mesothelioma is incurable, with a median mortality of only eight months after discovery."<ref name="Median">Gould, S. J. (1985). [https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/median-isnt-message/2013-01 "The Median Isn't the Message".] ''Discover'' 6 (June): 40–42.</ref> In his essay, he describes the actual significance behind this fact, and his relief upon recognizing that [[statistics|statistical averages]] are useful abstractions, and by themselves do not encompass "our actual world of variation, shadings, and continua".<ref name="Median"/>

Gould was also an advocate of [[medical cannabis]]. When undergoing his cancer treatments he smoked marijuana to help alleviate the long periods of intense and uncontrollable nausea. According to Gould, the [[Cannabis (drug)|drug]] had a "most important effect" on his eventual recovery. He later complained that he could not understand how "any humane person would withhold such a beneficial substance from people in such great need simply because others use it for different purposes".<ref>Bakalar, James and Lester Grinspoon (1997). ''Marihuana, the Forbidden Medicine.'' New Haven: Yale University Press, [http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_marijuana.html pp. 39–41.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126111710/http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_marijuana.html |date=November 26, 2015 }}</ref> On August 5, 1998, Gould's testimony assisted in the successful lawsuit of [[HIV]] activist [[Jim Wakeford]], who sued the [[Government of Canada]] for the right to cultivate, possess, and use marijuana for medical purposes.<ref>Chwialkowska, Luiza (1995). [http://www.kryo.com/vote-al/sjgould.htm "Marijuana Helped to Save My Life, Prominent Harvard Scholar Says"] ''Ottawa Citizen''.</ref>

===Final illness and death===
In February 2002, a {{convert|3|cm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} lesion was found on Gould's [[chest radiograph]], and oncologists diagnosed him with [[Cancer staging|stage IV]] cancer. Gould died 10 weeks later on May 20, 2002, from a [[Metastasis|metastatic]] [[adenocarcinoma]] of the [[human lung|lung]], an aggressive form of cancer which had already spread to his brain, liver, and spleen.<ref name=HGdies>Harvard News Office (2002). [https://web.archive.org/web/20020601144738/http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2002/05.16/99-gould.html "Paleontologist, author Gould dies at 60".] ''The Harvard Gazette''. (May 20). Retrieved on June 4, 2009.</ref> This cancer was unrelated to his previous bout of abdominal cancer in 1982,<ref>Associated Press (2005). [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna7926329 "Family of Stephen Jay Gould sues doctors, hospital."]</ref> though it is also associated with asbestos exposure. He died in his home "in a bed set up in the library of his [[SoHo]] loft, surrounded by his wife Rhonda, his mother Eleanor, and the many books he loved".<ref>Krementz, Jill (2002). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190152/http://www.asrlab.org/archive/jillPage.htm "Jill Krementz Photo Journal".] ''[[New York Social Diary]]''. Retrieved on June 4, 2009.</ref>