Social Responsibility and Self-governance by the Scientific Community

Abstract

"Over the past century there have been many profound scientific, technological, economic and social transformations. In the near future, the most dramatic breakthroughs will probably be achieved through combinations of various scientific disciplines, such as work cutting across physics, molecular biology, neurosciences, biotechnology, nanotechnology and microelectronics, chemical genetics, energy technologies, etc. There are many who, facing the next century, wonder if it will be possible and/or desirable to continue along the path of such prodigious changes. Technological advancement in new products and new ways of organizing human work is one of the most important concerns of our future. These changes in technology are not followed by change in human spirituality. In fact, looking at the time scale spirituality changes linearly in contrast to technological advancement which changes exponentially. On top of that, technologies pose threats, either by accident or through malevolence, to the natural and human environment. Thus, in time scale there is a bigger and bigger difference between what we do and who we are. Preservation versus dynamism is one of the many important unknowns in the coming future. Therefore, understanding the full potential of tomorrow’s technologies to contribute to human well-being calls for a better understanding of the ways in which technological changes interact with the human capacity to accept them."