Joram's Books
Joram Piatigorsky
Author ~ Collector ~ Scientist
Out Now!
Science Fantasies,
The Jellfish Have Eyes Trilogy
The Jellfish Have Eyes Trilogy
Three protagnists share a familial bond, and unquenchable curiosity, which they use with unexpected results in their scientific careers. Ricardo, the patriarch, begins his journey exploring Jellyfish eyes, which leads him to hypothesize on the nature of evolution and the role of jellyfish in it. Unfortunately for Ricardo, scientific exploration not directly related to curing a disease is not just discouraged in 2047. It’s a crime.
His great-great-grandson, Roger, also is a government-funded scientist who chafes at the current restrictive nature of scientific exploration. Observing inexplicable personality changes in friends and neighbors leads Roger to hypothesize that abstract thoughts can be transmitted by infectious particles. Imagine that — thoughts have a physical presence! While the scientific community cooly greets the idea, it’s embraced by an unexpected quarter within society. And Roger’s just not sure how to feel about it!
Regina, Roger’s granddaughter, shares her ancestors’ quests for new frontiers, and yet understands that new perspectives aren’t always appreciated. Can Regina forge her own path in science, and redeem her family’s legacy? Can she discover the truth behind the events that put a sudden end to her beloved grandfather’s scientific career?
As one Amazon reader says, “Though you can read each novel independently, they connect through three generations of scientists in the same family, and that connection makes the stories even more interesting.”
The Jellyfish Have Eyes Trilogy is comprised of:
While I never set out to be a collector of Inuit art, it’s been exciting to see what started as an attraction become a passion and develope over 35 years into a collection. In a way, it’s like raising a child and seeing the child develop into a successful, independent life of its own. In addition to the many blogs I’ve written about my Inuit art collection, I launched a website — InuitBeautiful.com — last year to share the collection. I hope you’ll join me here and on InuitBeautiful.com to explore the beautiful and fascinating art of the Inuit.
Basic Research Award
Science exploration is like an itch. You can scratch at the surface but the tingle to dig deeper is always there. And can’t be ignored, even in retirement. Or should I say, particularly in retirement!
I spent close to 50 years in science as a molecular biologist and eye researcher, first at Caltech as a graduate student from 1962 to 1967, and then at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 1981, I founded the Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology at the National Eye Institute and served as its chief until 2009, when I closed my laboratory and became a Scientist Emeritus, an NIH position I hold presently.
My passion for science and basic research — which I see as destination-free research, as well as my gratitude to the National Eye Institute (NEI) — led me to establish a science award at NEI to encourage scientist to go where their research led them.
Dr. Dan-Eric Nilsson, a professor at Sweden’s Lund University, was the first recipient of the Joram Piatigorsky Basic Science Lecture and Award in the Spring of this year. Dr Nilson is a renowned researcher and lecturer, and co-author of Animal Eyes (Oxford University Press), a biological study that explores the evolution and science behind not only human eyes, but those across all animal phyla.
His research on the eye and vision, as well as its general significance in biology, epitomizes the basic nature of this Award, and his experience presenting his research to wide audiences sets him apart. His lecture is well worth listening to.
