Ivory Bridges: Connecting Science and Society - Book Review ...

Ivory Bridges: Connecting Science and Society ? Book Review-article

Ivory Bridges: Connecting Science and Society ? Book Review

Gerhard Sonnert with Gerald Holton.?Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2002.?225 p.?$ 30.00.

While scientific knowledge and its application to include the main features of modern societies, scientists often work in ivory towers ? namely, university laboratories ? completely isolated from other segments of society.?In this narrow range, composed of Gerhard and Gerald Holton Sonnert to correct this perception.?The first is a sociologist of science, the second is a physicist and historian of science, both members of the Faculty of Physics at Harvard University.?Show by example that researchers are heavily involved in the outside world, both through policy advice to the science of government, and participation in voluntary associations of public interest.?They argue that the role of government advice may lead to conflicts between scientists and the professionalism of what the government decides, ultimately, because some scientists want to work through interest groups of volunteers ? even if the same problem can arise even here?.

A key feature of government is consulting on the level of support for the various fields of scientific research.?The authors claim that ??support mode, a compromise between the? Jefferson ?mode (curiosity-driven research) and the? Newton ?mode Bacon (applied research). Efforts to detail, especially through scientific advisor to the Carter administration, Jefferson concept?from all ministries and agencies to determine the basic research that directly contribute to the operational level, long-term outcome goals. In many ways, this exercise has tried recently in some European countries in the areas of basic research with potential?long-term applications (Technology Foresight Steering Group, 1995) for analysis.

The authors distinguish three waves of scientists involved in voluntary groups in the public interest: to install a 1,940 years in various campaigns and movements to develop nuclear weapons, in second place, the environmental movement in 1960 and third in 1970, from?1980, the ethical and social concerns on the possible applications of modern genetics.?In all these areas, scientists have helped to improve public understanding of the major problems and often complex.?You also have the importance and difficulty of discrimination, scientific (in the opinion it is a matter of principle), politics (which, in principle, it is not).

The strength of this book is an overview of the role of scientists as advisors and activists in the United States since 1945, along with the excellent support literature and reference material, but the analysis suffers from two weaknesses.?First, they ignored the documented complementarity between basic research and applications: the professionals know the benefits and actively support the public funding of long-term research in the ivory tower, not as isolated as they think passengers (see, forexample, the Economic Development Commission, 1998).?Second, is to systematically investigate the strong and lasting relationships between government-funded basic research, on the one hand and its applications in health, weapons, and the economy, on the other.?Among other things, this means that public health and military strategists in the U.S. were very good and insightful about the practical benefits of basic research.?They explain, scientists now playing an increasingly active role on trade in information technology and biotechnology (Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, 1999).

Finally, an unpleasant thought after the September 11, reflects the emergence of voluntary activities of scientists in the public interest, in part, the growing proliferation and democratization of scientific knowledge.?The same applies to the development of high-tech terrorism.

REFERENCES

Commission on Economic Development (CED)

America 1998 Basic Research: prosperity through Discovery.?New York: CED.

IT and telecommunications board

1999 to finance the revolution, public support for the Computing Research.Washington, DC: National Research Council.

Technology Management Group of the Foresight

1995 Progress through partnership.?London: HMSO.

Keith Pavitt

RM Phillips Professor of Science and Technology

SPRU ? Science and technology research

University of Sussex, England

Copyright 2002, Cornell University, Johnson Graduate School
Copyright 2003 Gale Group

Source: http://www.esociety.co.cc/ivory-bridges-connecting-science-and-society-book-review-esociety/

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