Science, Technology and Society - The Tightening Circle

摘要

Since our beginnings as a distinct species, our society has been shaped by the twin quests to understand nature—what has come to be called science—and to utilize nature in all of its aspects and to build artifacts—what has come to be called technology, broadly encompassing activities such as engineering, medicine and agriculture. These two quests have repeatedly changed societal views of nature and our role in it and have been determinant in the development and survival of societies. In turn, science and technology and their interactions have been shaped by the attitudes, organization and circumstances of society. From the Industrial Revolution to today's information and biotechnology revolutions this circle of reciprocal impacts is becoming ever tighter. The burning challenge for society is to endeavor to understand the consequences of this accelerated dynamics and to guide its future evolution for the greater good of our species. Increasingly pressing issues range from health to the economy, from defense to laws and civil liberties, from ethics to international relations, from ecology to resilience in disasters, and propel us to conquer ever newer interdisciplinary frontiers. The area of materials, so central to the advancement of society, is a rich source of examples of this tightening circle.