Science & Society

The most important application of science

Valentí Rull

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cience is valued by society because scientific knowledge, but crucially to human life and that it should be centrally
the application of scientific knowledge provide them with a basic understanding of controlled by the state to maximise its
helps to satisfy many basic human how science has shaped the world and utility—he was heavily influenced by Marxist
needs and improve living standards. Finding human civilisation. Education could become thought. The zoologist John R. Baker criti-
a cure for cancer and a clean form of energy the most important application of science in cised this “Bernalistic” view, defending a
are just two topical examples. Similarly, the next decades. “liberal” conception of science according to
science is often justified to the public as which “the advancement of knowledge by
driving economic growth, which is seen as a
...................................................... scientific research has a value as an end in
return-on-investment for public funding.
During the past few decades, however,
“It is time to seriously consider itself”. This approach has been called the
“free-science” approach.
another goal of science has emerged: to find
how science and research can
contribute to education at all

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a way to rationally use natural resources to he modern, utilitarian approach has
guarantee their continuity and the continuity levels of society. . .” attempted to coerce an explicit socio-
of humanity itself; an endeavour that is ...................................................... political and economic manifestation
currently referred to as “sustainability”. of science. Perhaps the most recent and
Scientists often justify their work using More and better education of citizens striking example of this is the shift in Euro-
these and similar arguments—currently would also enable informed debate and deci- pean research policy under the so-called
linked to personal health and longer life sion-making about the fair and sustainable Horizon 2020 or H2020 funding framework.
expectancies, technological advancement, application of new technologies, which This medium-term programme (2014-2020)
economic profits, and/or sustainability—in would help to address problems such as is defined as a “financial instrument imple-
order to secure funding and gain social accep- social inequality and the misuse of scientific menting the Innovation Union, a Europe
tance. They point out that most of the tools, discoveries. For example, an individual 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing
technologies and medicines we use today are might perceive an increase in welfare and Europe’s global competitiveness” (http://
products or by-products of research, from life expectancy as a positive goal and ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm). This
pens to rockets and from aspirin to organ would not consider the current problems of is a common view of science and technology
transplantation. This progressive application inequality relating to food supply and in the so-called developed world, but what
of scientific knowledge is captured in Isaac health resources. is notable in the case of the H2020
Asimov’s book, Chronology of science and However, taking the view that science programme is that economic arguments are
discovery, which beautifully describes how education should address how we apply placed explicitly ahead of all other reasons.
science has shaped the world, from the scientific knowledge to improve the human Europe could be in danger of taking a step
discovery of fire until the 20th century. condition raises the question of whether backwards in its compulsion to become an
science research should be entirely at the economic world leader at any cost.

H ......................................................
owever, there is another application service of human needs, or whether scien-
of science that has been largely tists should retain the freedom to pursue
ignored, but that has enormous knowledge for its own sake—albeit with a “Europe could be in danger
potential to address the challenges facing view to eventual application. This question of taking a step backwards
humanity in the present day education. It is has been hotly debated since the publication
time to seriously consider how science and of British physicist John D. Bernal’s book,
in its compulsion to become
research can contribute to education at all The Social Function of Science, in 1939. an economic world leader at
levels of society; not just to engage more Bernal argued that science should contribute any cost.”
people in research and teach them about to satisfy the material needs of ordinary ......................................................

Botanic Institute of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, E-mail: [email protected]

ª 2014 The Author EMBO reports Vol 15 | No 9 | 2014 919

Data: Special Eurobarometer Europeans, Science and Technology (June 2005)

For comparison, the US National Science approach and contradicts the “liberal” view economic indicators, such as Gross Domes-
Foundation declares that its mission is to that “science can only flourish and therefore tic Product (GDP), to measure social well-
“promote the progress of science; to advance can only confer the maximum cultural being and happiness is flawed. For example,
the national health, prosperity and welfare; and practical benefits on society when Robert Costanza, of the Australian National
to secure the national defence; and for other research is conducted in an atmosphere of University, and several collaborators
purposes” (http://www.nsf.gov/about/ freedom” [2]. By way of example, the published a paper in Nature recently in
glance. jsp). The Japan Science and Technol- discovery of laser emissions in 1960 was which they announce the “dethroning of
ogy Agency (JST) states that it “promotes a strictly scientific venture to demonstrate a GDP” and its replacement by more appropri-
creation of intellect, sharing of intellect with physical principle predicted by Einstein in ate indicators that consider both economic
society, and establishment of its infrastruc- 1917. The laser was considered useless growth and “a high quality of life that is
ture in an integrated manner and supports at that time as an “invention in the search equitably shared and sustainable” [3].
generation of innovation” (http:// for a job”. If the utilitarian view of science as an
www.jst.go.jp/EN/about/mission.html). In economic tool prevails, basic research will
his President’s Message, Michiharu Naka- ...................................................... suffer. Dismantling the current science
mura stated that, “Japan seeks to create new
value based on innovative science and tech-
“. . . we need to educate the research infrastructure, which has taken
centuries to build and is based on free
nology and to contribute to the sustained educators, and consequently to enquiry, would have catastrophic conse-
development of human society ensuring adopt adequate science quences for humanity. The research commu-
Japan’s competitiveness” [1]. The difference curricula at university nity needs to convince political and

education departments.”
between these declarations and the Euro- scientific managers of the danger of this
pean H2020 programme is that the H2020 course. Given that a recent Eurobarometer
programme explicitly prioritises economic ...................................................... survey found significant support among the
competitiveness and economic growth, European public for scientists to be “free to

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while the NIH and JST put their devotion to he mercantilisation of research is, carry out the research they wish, provided
knowledge, intellect, and the improvement explicitly or not, based on the simplis- they respect ethical standards” (73% of
of society up front. Curiously, the H2020 tic idea that economic growth leads to respondents agreed with this statement;
programme’s concept of science as a capital- increased quality of life. However, some http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/
ist tool is analogous to the “Bernalistic” leading economists think that using general ebs/ebs_224_report_en.pdf), it seems that a

920 EMBO reports Vol 15 | No 9 | 2014 ª 2014 The Author

campaign to support the current free-science inequality, nuclear arms and global climate and re-evaluation of the existing knowledge.
system, funded with public budgets, would change—resulted from the abandonment of Every scientific theory is always under scru-
likely be popular. the key principle of the Enlightenment: the tiny and questioned whenever new evidence
use of reason under a humanistic framework. seems to challenge its validity. No other

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he US NSF declaration contains a knowledge system has demonstrated this

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word that is rarely mentioned when hen discussing education, we capacity, and even, the defenders of faith-
dealing with scientific applications: should therefore consider not based systems are common users of medical
education. Indeed, a glance at the textbooks only those who have no access services and technological facilities that
used by children is enough to show how far to basic education, but also a considerable have emerged from scientific knowledge.
scientific knowledge has advanced in a few fraction of the populations of developed

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generations, and how these advances have countries who have no recent science educa- or these reasons, formal education
been transferred to education. A classic tion. The Eurobarometer survey mentioned from primary school to high school
example is molecular biology; a discipline provides a striking argument: On average, should therefore place a much larger
that was virtually absent from school text- only the half of the surveyed Europeans emphasis on teaching young people how
books a couple of generations ago. The knew that electrons are smaller than atoms; science has shaped and advanced human
deliberate and consistent addition of new almost a third believed that the Sun goes culture and well-being, but also that science
scientific knowledge to enhance education around the Earth, and nearly a quarter of flourishes best when scientists are left free
might seem an obvious application of them affirmed that earliest humans coex- to apply human reason to understand the
science, but it is often ignored. This piece- isted with dinosaurs (http://ec.europa.eu/ world. This also means that we need to
meal approach is disastrous for science public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_224_report_ educate the educators and consequently to
education, so the application of science in en.pdf). Another type of passive ignorance adopt adequate science curricula at univer-
education should be emphasised and resour- that is on the increase among the public of sity education departments. Scientists them-
ced properly for two reasons: first, because industrialised countries, especially among selves must get more involved both in
education has been unequivocally recogni- young people, is an indifference to socio- schools and universities.
sed as a human right, and second, because political affairs beyond their own individual
the medical, technological and environmen- and immediate well-being. ......................................................
tal applications of science require qualified Ignorance may have a relevant influence
professionals who acquire their skills on politics in democracies because ignorant “Dismantling the current
through formal education. Therefore, educa- people are more easily manipulated, or science research infrastructure,
tion is a paramount scientific application. because their votes may depend on irrele-
vant details, such as a candidate’s physical
which has taken centuries to
...................................................... appearance or performance in public build and is based on free
“The deliberate and consistent debates. A democracy should be based on
an informed society. Education sensu lato—
enquiry, would have
addition of new scientific catastrophic consequences for
knowledge to enhance educa-
including both formal learning and cultural
education—is therefore crucial for develop-
humanity.”
......................................................
tion might seem an obvious ing personal freedom of thought and free
will, which will lead to adequate representa-
application of science, but it is
often ignored.”
tion and better government [5]. But scientists will also have to get more
To improve the cultural level of human engaged with society in general. The improve-
...................................................... societies is a long-term venture in which ment of human culture and society relies on
science will need to play a critical role. We more diffuse structural and functional
In a more general sense, education serves first need to accept that scientific reasoning patterns. In the case of science, its diffusion to
to maintain the identity of human culture, is intimately linked to human nature: the general public is commonly called the
which is based on our accumulated knowl- Humanity did not explicitly adopt science as popularisation of science and can involve
edge, and to improve the general cultural level the preferred tool for acquiring knowledge scientists themselves, rather than journalists
of society. According to Stuart Jordan, a after choosing among a set of possibilities; and other communicators. In this endeavour,
retired senior staff scientist at NASA’s we simply used our own mental functioning scientists should be actively and massively
Goddard Space Flight Center, and currently to explain the world. If reason is a universal involved. Scientists—especially those work-
president of the Institute for Science and human feature, any knowledge can be trans- ing in public institutions—should make a
Human Values, widespread ignorance and mitted and understood by everyone without greater effort to communicate to society what
superstition remain “major obstacles to the need for alien constraints, not unlike art science is and what is not; how is it done;
progress to a more humanistic world” [4] in or music. what are its main results; and what are they
which prosperity, security, justice, good health Moreover, science has demonstrated that useful for. This would be the best way of
and access to culture are equally accessible to it is a supreme mechanism to explain the demystifying science and scientists and
all humans. He argues that the proliferation of world, to solve problems and to fulfil human upgrading society’s scientific literacy.
the undesirable consequences of scientific needs. A fundamental condition of science is In summary, putting a stronger emphasis
knowledge—such as overpopulation, social its dynamic nature: the constant revision on formal science education and on raising

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the general cultural level of society should and economically in both the short and the 2013–2014 (http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/JST_
lead to a more enlightened knowledge-based long term, but it is also the best tool avail- Brochure_2013.pdf). Last accessed: March 20,
society—as opposed to the H2020 vision of a able to satisfy the fundamental human thirst 2014
knowledge-based economy—that is less for knowledge, as well as to maintain and 2. McGucken W (1978) On freedom and planning
susceptible to dogmatic moral systems. enhance the human cultural heritage, which in science: the Society for Freedom in Science,
Scientists should still use the other argu- is knowledge-based by definition. 1940–46. Minerva 16: 42 – 72
ments—technological progress, improved 3. Costanza R, Kubiszewski I, Giovannini E, Lovins
health and well-being and economic gains— Conflict of interest H, McGlade J, Pickett KE (2014) Time to leave
to justify their work, but better education The author declares that he has no conflict of GDP behind. Nature 505: 283 – 285
would provide the additional support interest. 4. Jordan S (2012) The Enlightenment Vision.
needed to convince citizens about the Science, Reason and the Promise of a Better
usefulness of science beyond its economic References Future. Promethous Books, Amherst
value. Science is not only necessary for 1. Japan Science and Technology Agency (2013) 5. Rull V (2014) Conservation, human values and
humanity to thrive socially, environmentally Overview of JST program and organisation democracy. EMBO Rep 15: 17 – 20

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