Ivory Bridges : Connecting Science and Society

Despite the fact that science has had a significant impact on society there is a strong public perception that scientists do not really care about the affairs of society, and are content to merely conduct solitary research in socially isolated universities. In Ivory Bridges: Connecting Science and Society, Gerhard Sonnert and Gerald Holton attempt to dispel that perception and provide an analysis of the many ways in which scientists interact with society through the government and interest groups. They also describe the tension between the conflicting perceptions of the proper role of scientists. On the one hand, there is the view, based on what they call the Newtonian model, that scientists should conduct research solely out of curiosity, with little concern for practical applications. On the other hand is the view, based on what they call the Baconian model, that scientists should only work on questions that have social applications. They try to resolve this tension by promoting what they call the Jeffersonian model of science, in which scientists seek to discover the truth about areas that are of fundamental importance to society without seeking specific goals. In their opinion, the Jeffersonian model offers the proper balance between curiosity-driven research and applied research. It prevents scientists from doing work that is too focused on specific problems, which may ultimately vanish over time. It also prevents scientists from working on issues that are currently socially irrelevant but which may produce relevant results in the future.