Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Apr 2002
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002aps..apr.i6002k&link_type=abstract
American Physical Society, April Meeting, Jointly Sponsored with the High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD) of the American As
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Scientific paper
As many as ten billion people may be alive at the end of the 21st century. Without order-of-magnitude changes in the productivity of systems for satisfying this population’s needs and whimsies, we face starkly growing worldwide inequality, unsustainable plundering of shrinking supplies of natural resources, or both. Can we invent energy sources that are sustainable, affordable, and consistent with security? Can we mimic the ability of biological systems and build small, inexpensive machines that can fabricate tens of thousands of products on demand from simple raw materials? Can we use information and communication systems to optimize design and performance (the human brain uses half the energy of modern Pentium chips but most people seem much more clever.) Can we cut the resources needed to move people and things from point to point or to maintain homes and office spaces with comfortable light by an order of magnitude? As an APS summer study proved nearly three decades ago, there is much room for optimism about what we can do to address these problems and much has been learned since this initial foray. But there is there less room to be optimistic about changing incentive systems to reflect what we collectively want to do. Scientists who recognize what is possible can not in conscience ignore the complex, frustrating, and morally perilous world of domestic and international politics. Learning to be effective is not easy. Understanding political systems is not easy and being effective means engaging in the agonizing business of sorting through third or fourth-best solutions that are vastly better than no solution at all. The century can not end well without an effective partnership between science and politics.
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