Word: piel
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...Piel first raises the serious matter of general scientific ignorance. People have learned to accept science as a source of endless improvement, material comfort, and abundance, yet most the exact workings of science are mysterious. "Ironically, science itself seems to have fallen heir to much of what remains of the frightened awe formerly accorded to the outer darkness...
...Piel notes, Americans in the past have been singularly fortunate in that most of their pure science research was done by someone else. During the nineteenth century, all the important innovations upon which we based our technology were made abroad. And even in twentieth century nuclear physics, the United States -- first country to develop the atomic bomb -- exploited the theory of foreigners like Bohr, Fermi, Einstein, and Bethe...
...result, over the years, Americans have grown complacent about the theoretical basis of their technological progress. By neglecting basic search, we are attempting a very advised shortcut. "In short, we have mortgaged the future of science in our eagerness to exploit its past," says Piel. He knows that technology is no "miracle...
...avoid these misconceptions about science, and arouse new public support for basic research? Piel sees this matter again as a question of communication -- this time, between scientists and laymen...
Taxpayers are, of course, upholding the scientific establishment on faith. Piel notes that "it is not the amount of support but the terms on which it is given that counts." This means that the public must be able to evaluate the various projects their government supports, and the way the support is administered. Thus the gap in communications between scientist and citizen "challenges the underlying assumptions of the democratic process." The gap grows more serious as scientific work becomes more expensive, requiring larger, more complex machinery and materials...