How scientists can really help

Abstract

Last fall I had the honor of speaking at the dedication of a new physics building on the University of California campus at Santa Barbara. As I arrived for the occasion, it struck me how lucky the physicists at Santa Barbara are to be living and working in such a glorious place. The day was clear and I could see the mountains, which contain the surviving frayed specimens of the majestic California condor, and the channel, with the islands on the other side. I had been sailing in the channel and had seen it sometimes sparkling in the sunlight, sometimes shrouded with fog, full of dolphins and sea lions. The campus is built on what used to be my favorite bird‐watching place in Southern California, with its curlews, godwits, and phalaropes. Now, for the males of our species, it is a favorite girl‐watching place. In any case it is bustling with young Californians presumably seeking knowledge and wisdom, and some older people who are supposed to be able to impart such things. The priority need is to develop a systems analysis with heart that society can rely on to choose between possible technologies.

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