Public‐interest science—an overview

JUN 01, 1974

Individual scientists and their professional societies are becoming increasingly involved in public debates over the impacts and regulation of technologies.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3128632

Martin Perl

Joel Primack

Frank von Hippel

The idea that the public, as well as the government and industry, should have scientific advisors is an old one. The idea that the interests of the public should have lawyers to defend them is old too, yet it was not until the 1960’s that a renewed public understanding of the insensitivity of governmental and industrial bureaucracies led to a substantial commitment in the legal profession to public‐interest law. It appears that the scientific community may now have reached a similar point; a growing awareness of the dangers of leaving the exploitation of technology to special industrial and governmental interests has led to an increased readiness among scientists to undertake work in public‐interest science.

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References

1. J. Primack, F. von Hippel, Advice and Dissent: Scientists in the Political Arena, Basic Books, N.Y. (Oct. 1974).
2. See Federal Advisory Committees, US Govt. Ptg. Office, Washington D.C. (1973)
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5. In Whistle Blowing (R. Nader, P. Petkas, K. Blackwell, eds.) Grossman, New York (1972); page 4.
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9. Copies of the conference report are available from Peter Gibbs, Chairman, Department of Physics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112.
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More about the authors

Martin Perl, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.

Joel Primack, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Frank von Hippel, National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C..