A Global Perspective On Science And Technology

摘要

The united states is a huge ocean-flanked country that, since World War II, has led the world in the development of science and technology. But other countries are now catching up. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has been a support for the development of American science since the 19th century, but as the rest of the world becomes increasingly relevant, it has chosen to expand its purview to become more of an international friend of science. At the 174th annual meeting of the AAAS, we chose to reflect this new perspective. As president of the AAAS, I was excited to make a global perspective on science and technology the focus of the meeting. I was inspired by Thomas Friedman's powerful book The World Is Flat (1), in which he suggests there is an increasingly level field for global commerce and competition. The increasingly global reach of Science was another impetus for the global theme. But most importantly, the key issues of science and technology today are not limited to the space encompassed by particular political borders. Provision of clean energy in the world is our most pressing problem and one we can only tackle together. Issues of health are international ones, especially in this era of jet travel. Poverty is a problem of some countries, but its effects spread throughout the world. Lack of sufficient clean water has become an international concern, affecting both rural populations and urban ones. And economics, the dismal but all-powerful driver of global wealth creation, highlights the interrelationship of all the world's people.