SCIENCE - A PART OF OUR FUTURE

Rapid progress in science and technology has brought a rude awakening for scientists. Forced to abandon their elitist complacency, they are now at the centre of conflicting interests of society, the economy and politics. Each sector has quite different views as to what scientists should and should not do - views based not only on the needs and goal s, but also on the expectations, hopes and fears of each of these inte rest groups. These views often encompass a host of conflicting issues, which rarely coincide with those of scientists themselves, and are of ten based on misunderstandings. The close interaction of society, econ omic interests, politics and sciences, and their diverse expectations, foster dependences that are often problematic. In this controversy of widely diverging and inherently conflicting interests and opinions it is important that scientists preserve their understanding of science and research, and work to uphold it.