Science & Society

There is a short list of historic moments that have come to be used as markers for us to measure a place in time. When we speak of ancient time frames, we mark them with B.C. or A.D. In our own history, we speak of the Revolution, the Civil War, Pearl Harbor, Sputnik, the Kennedy assassination, the moon walk and now Sept. 11. That day is a new marker in our collective psyche and in our society.

At this time of change and uncertainty, the need for visionaries, scientists, policymakers and pragmatists is greater than ever before. They can bring together their experience, wisdom and research in measured debate. Together they can provide both historical context and analytical order to promote the public discussion and understanding of the complex issues we face.

It is abundantly clear that there is a concurrent need for increased scientific and engineering knowledge. In times such as these, we are acutely cognizant of living in a society defined by, and dependent on, science and technology. Every discussion about airline safety, contamination by disease, failure of communication links, poisoning of food and drinking water, assessment of damaged infrastructure and countless other concerns depends on our scientific and technical understanding and expertise.

For the past 50 years, the federal government has provided continuous and growing support to develop the underlying science, technology and knowledge that helped us build these capabilities. This began, in large part, as a result of the significant role that science played in winning World War II. Since then, our enterprise of scientists and engineers has been responsive to the changing context of society.

In a 1994 speech at the National Academy of Sciences, the late Rep. George E. Brown Jr. ’46 of California, science’s best friend and most constructive critic in the Congress, said: “We must have … a research system that arches and bends with society’s goals.” The larger context determines the direction in which this movement occurs; the research enterprise arches and bends to national needs. Our accrued knowledge from decades of federal government research support is already serving new objectives brought about by the events that began on Sept. 11. The nation’s science policy will move us in the direction of national necessity.

Civilizations have always used their science and engineering knowledge to remediate an existing problem or to address a current need. Now we need to increase our emphasis on envisioning future possibilities, good or ill, as a mechanism to predict. Scientific knowledge can be an effective predictor, but prevention requires more. The research community needs to find more-effective methods to use its capacity to predict in order to meet real-world needs through prevention. When foresight directs our actions and the use of knowledge, we are a lot less likely to fix the present at the cost of the future.

New, more complete knowledge always replaces current knowledge in a process of constant renewal. This makes an unshakable case for consistent research in all eras, at all times, and for our continued support of our research communities, particularly our universities where, in addition to generating the truly new ideas that define the future, every dollar invested contributes to developing and training the next generation of researchers and educators.

America has been fortunate to have leaders who understood the value of ongoing support for research. The world in which our work brings success is a world of integration and overlapping consequences. Narrow knowledge can become incorrect knowledge. Just as a college education is an investment in an individual’s future, support for research is an investment in the nation’s future. It more than justifies the expense.

Advances in mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry — the core physical sciences — undergird all of the biomedical sciences on which we depend to understand disease, find cures, develop vaccines and initiate preventive strategies. Information technologies have touched and transformed almost every facet of our lives, our work and our economy. The brief, 30-year history of genetics has brought us from the exquisitely simple design of the double helix to the most precise identification of any human being. In criminal cases, the advent of DNA testing has frequently proven the fallibility of eyewitness accounts.

Another form of genetics mushroomed into a whole industrial sector. Biotechnology has revolutionized agriculture with pest-resistant plants. It has produced valuable staple crops like golden rice, which provides a nutritionally complete meal in one serving. The list of dramatic changes and choices that science has triggered is so diverse it verges on the wondrous. And this only describes the present. The future promises to be even more spectacular.

Nanotechnology is designing our next revolution. Coupled with increasing prowess in information technologies, nanotechnology will change everything from manufacturing to medicine. Think of building new materials atom by atom. We will be able to make a wish list of characteristics to incorporate. Nanostructures are at the confluence of the smallest of human-made devices and the large molecules of living systems. With them, we will be able to connect nanomachines to individual human cells to target delivery of medicine.

Shortly after the first anthrax attack last October, the National Science Foundation made an award of just under $200,000 to sequence the genetic makeup of the anthrax bacterium. Microbial genome sequencing is a valuable tool in defending against bioterrorism. This is a clear example of fundamental research responding to national need. The anthrax attacks also taught us why it is so important to have a public educated to the issues of science and technology. Although anthrax is not an everyday occurrence, there were many, including public officials, who thought it was contagious. It is vital that our citizens and all our leaders have a better working knowledge of the science and technology that defines our very existence.

A citizenry literate about science and technology serves several goals. It gives the nation a workforce educated and trained to compete in the increasingly competitive global marketplace. It promotes good judgment among voters on both issues and candidates. It serves as strong defense against delusions of safety as well as threats. I cannot exaggerate the primary importance of a scientifically literate citizenry. I cannot stress enough the responsibility of the science community to help us meet that goal.

But as we reflect on our knowledge-driven society, we all know that knowledge alone is not enough to make a better world. The Founding Fathers framed a set of primary values for our nation based on the independence of, and the respect for, individuals. Armed with these values, science becomes an important vehicle for human progress. With these values to guide us, we have made appropriate choices for ourselves as a nation.

And toward that end, our national cadre of scientists and engineers should reflect the diversity of America that we now see in the general workforce. Here the science and engineering disciplines have a long way to go. Our national need for scientists and engineers cannot possibly be met by the traditional white-male population. We must focus on attracting women and our diverse minority populations to these professions.

Today, knowledge of science and technology is necessary for everyone, not just those who become scientists and engineers. For example, an automobile mechanic must deal with dozens of computers under the hood of the newest-model car. The challenge of building a broad science base for fundamental research, homeland security, a technically skilled workforce and for children competent in science and mathematics must begin in our primary schools. Only then will we be prepared in the 21st century.