Can Scientists Make Change Their Friend?; June 1993; Scientific American Magazine; by George E. Brown, Jr.; 1 Page(s)

For 50 years, federal science policy has been rooted in cold war perceptions born of a world in which the U.S. had only one true military rival and no true economic rivals. This policy has created the most active, innovative and expensive research system in history, the envy of our allies and adversaries alike. Now it is clear to many in the science policy community that public support for research and development must respond to a changed perception of reality--a "paradigm shift"-- that requires us to reconsider the role of science in our society.

As the military imperative fades, we begin to see that we share a planet on which we confront overpopulation, environmental degradation, economic stagnation and injustice, as well as ethnic and religious division. But this unity in adversity has yet to lead to a comparable unity in vision about how to cope with the global challenges of a post-cold war world.