“Gap” Between Scientists, Public

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31060, 16 May 1966, Page 1

“Gap” Between Scientists, Public

Universities tended to ignore the need to bridge the gap between the scientist and the layman, said the Minister of Science (Mr Taiboys) when he officially opened the second New Zealand science students’ conference in Christchurch on Saturday evening.

The scientist’s need of lay support grew in proportion to the sie and complexity of his equipment, Mr Taiboys said. However, the principle went deeper than mere money. One of the satisfactions of his calling was the approbation he received from the community; but how could the community respect a man if it could not understand him?

“Surely the scientist alone

holds the key to the door. He can put himself in the place of the layman, but the layman cannot put himself in the place of the scientist. Some scientists are able to do this so that their meaning becomes crystal clear. Many others are not so fortunate.” Role In Community

Mr Taiboys said that If scientists were to be looked to as leaders they would have to be equipped to take their place in the community. They would have to become familiar with the people they were to lead, and familiar with their problems and the problems of leadership. University science clubs were to be congratulated on the way they had grasped and put into practice the concept behind such gatherings as the conference. This was one example of the theme of the present conference, “Science Advancing.” He said the theme of the conference would have a different meaning for different groups of scientists and for

the layman. The layman would only be dimly aware of the scientist’s interpretation of such things as satellites, drugs, computers, and elec-tron-microscopes. To the average man advances in science meant developments in such things as topdressing and chemicals for the control of plant diseases on farms, geothermal power, and plans for a steel industry based on iron-sands. The layman, knowing that he could not understand science, tended to leave both it and technology to the experts. “For science this is probably right, but for technology it is wrong. Science never hurt anyone, but its application affects everyone. Blind adherence to a new regime without proper management has resulted in many very costly failures,” he said. Mr Taiboys said “science advancing” was also seen through the eyes of the politician in the expansion of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and in

the productive partnership between the State and industry. “Important” Changes He said the recent reformation in New Zealand universities and the return of a Ph.D. degree was most important “No longer need scientists look to overseas universities as seats of higher attainment no longer need they look elsewhere for opportunity.” Mr Taiboys said that so convinced was he of the value of university research in New Zealand that he had persuaded the Government to enter into research contracts with university departments. 1 hope by this and other means to convince some industrial firms of the value of scientists on their staff,” he said. •

“I hope to see a country and nation in these islands which will have a true appreciation of what ’science advancing’ can do and what ‘science advancing* can mean for the people living in it,” Mr Talboya said.