Grand Challenges and Great Opportunities in Science, Technology, and Public Policy

摘要

Science is about asking questions and finding credible ways to answer them. Scientists and engineers lay the foundation for practical applications of what is learned, and respond to needs in the broader society, as well as our own curiosity and passion for new knowledge. Economists have attributed more than half of the gains in gross national product and up to 85% of the gains in per capita income over the past several decades to advances in science and technology. Science works best in a culture that welcomes challenges to prevailing ideas and nurtures the potential of all of its people. Scientific ways of thinking and of re-evaluating one's views in light of new evidence help strengthen a democracy.