Science and the Written Word : Science, Technology, and Society

In order to meet the growing scientific requirements of an increasingly complex society, it is essential for us to have an appreciation of the power and breadth of science.

Science and the Written Word is a collection of interviews featuring some of the world's greatest scientists and Nobel Prize winners. The interviews examine topics related to the nature of science and technology, making them more accessible to the general reader, and emphasize the relationship of various scientific disciplines to one another. Through this book, readers learn from the "inside" how science is done, what motivates it, and why it is of importance to society as a whole. The book offers insights into scientific personalities and dispels common misconceptions regarding the popular image of scientists.

The interviews in this book examine standards of behavior and ethics and demonstrate the relationships between science and social values. They delve into topics such as the utility of science in application to war, the importance of science in the educational curriculum, cost benefits of fundamental research in consideration of the national budget, and the public controversy of evolution versus intelligent design. Cumulatively, the discussions in this book give rise to an awareness of both the reality of science and technology and its profound impact upon the well being of society.

Lou Massa is a Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Hunter College and the Graduate School of the City University of New York. He has had visiting appointments at the IBM Watson Research Lab, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Bordeaux, the University of London, the Naval Research Lab, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, and Grumman Aerospace.