Like shadows of clouds in the depths of a lake

Abstract

This text is an invitation for persons familiar with humanities or social sciences to taste an exceptional study on the intrauterine environmental causes of breast cancer, and to assess the potential cultural, psychological, philosophical, moral, and pol itical meanings and implications of the study. After maturing for over 50 years, the main finding of the study was that breast cancer was about three times more frequent among women whose mothers had higher body concentrations of the pesticide DDT when they were pregnant of such women. The study poses questions on per sonal and social tempos; limitations and possibilities of individual and collective protection from toxic compounds; the (in)visible human costs of some models of development; difficulties of addressing with finesse and efficiency the effects of contaminants on fetuses, as well as questions on our bodily, socioenvironmental and technological conscience, beliefs and ex periences on the causes of illnesses, public policies, and transgenerational justice, among others.