WORLD PROBLEMS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21963, 6 March 1946, Page 6

WORLD PROBLEMS

THE SCIENTIST’S PART STATUS IN ATOMIC AGE Professor J- D. Bernal, speaking at the Royal Institution in London, said the atomic bomb was an example ot a new shock attack on a scientific and social problem which would become the type method of the future for dealing with other human problems. Conjuring up a vision of a modern atomic radio type of civilisation controlled by scientists, be said that if Britain were to take its place in the of rather panicky and rather rough forefront of the new atomic age the present percentage of between one and three of the population concerned in science must be raised to 5, 10, or even 20 per cent. . “We have to make this choice; we have either got .to go into i.t—or slay right a.t .the bottom. “There comes the question .of the position of the scientist in society, and particularly ,th e position of the scientist in government. There has been a lo.t language from politicians about scientists. One of the characteristics of the new age is that you cannot take a step in any social or political scheme without involving yourself in highly technical and scientific questions. “I.t does not mean that scientists claim .to be the Government, or .to have any other statutory position. It only means that government and administration arc impossible unless they are thoroughly scientific in the sense of having people in control who know what they arc doing. “We are very far from that position to-day. But it is coming, and i.t is one of the duties of the scientist to point ou.t that this process must go on very rapidly if we British are to escape the position of being relegated to a relatively barbarian status.

•‘We shall become barbarians if we cannot keep up with the scientific age. Wo need in Britain an enormous scientific effort. That is the major lesson of the war for scientists.”