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Ours is an age of dizzying scientific and technological advancement, a time in which the world's scientists and engineers are employing increasingly sophisticated tools and methodologies to profoundly alter humanity's understanding of just about everything. But are Americans getting the message? Is the public equipped with sufficient knowledge to appreciate the benefits and potential pitfalls of this amazingly rapid technological progress? Research administrators at agencies such as the National Science Foundation fear the answer to both questions is no. What's more, they say, this lack of knowledge is contributing to a feeling of national unease about the pace and nature of technological change. In this edition of Illumination, as in every installment of the magazine, we are committed to helping our readers increase their understanding of the scientific issues of our day -- including, thanks to the insights of journalism professor Glen Cameron, an appreciation of why so few members of the public feel scientifically conversant in the first place. You'll also discover how researchers at MU are developing new adult stem cells lines that may lead to therapies not possible using embryonic stem cell lines. You'll hear about an innovative senior housing program that is laying the groundwork for a much-needed revolution in elder care. And you will meet a courageous MU English professor who exposed a previously unacknowledged threat to California's environmental and public health. In his wonderfully informative primer, Almost Everyone's Guide to Science, the British astronomer John Gribbin quotes from a lecture Albert Einstein gave to scientists at Cal Tech in 1931: "Concern for man himself and his fate must always be the chief interest of all technical endeavours ...in order that the creations of our mind shall be a blessing and not a curse to mankind," Einstein said. "Never forget this in the midst of your diagrams and equations." I feel certain that every faculty researcher at MU embraces such a view, and that their "creations of the mind" would surely have satisfied Einstein's definition of a blessing. I believe also that Illumination is helping our readers to feel the same way.
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To request an issue or subscribe to Illumination, contact us at Illumination, Office of Research, 205 Jesse Hall, Columbia MO 65211. |
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Overcoming Unease