1557 



are political problems, which tend to be overburdened with value systems in which 

 rational and irrational factors are intermixed. 



Nevertheless, the author concludes, 



... if men can unite to solve problems under cne set of circumstances (the 

 scientific), there presumably is room for hope that they can learn to do so under 

 another (the pohtical). Scientists, as already indicated, tend to share this hope.^s 



Author's Reassessment 



The International Geophysical Year was an episode, with a begin- 

 ning and an end. The interval since the basic study was written has 

 viclded no important new revelations about it or interpretations of its 

 sio-nificance. Nevertheless, its influence continues to be exerted, as 

 Bullis points out in the following observations of September 1975: 



GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION 



The IGY study represented a detailed examination of a specific 

 example of how the world scientific community worked together in 

 cooperation and good will toward resolving international problems. 

 In particular, it analyzed the contributions this massive scientific 

 undertaking made in overcoming ideological' differences to bridge 

 science and diplomacy. In so doing, the study attempted to identify 

 and explain the attitudes, behavior patterns, and procedures followed 

 during the IGY as a step toward detente. 



These themes are as relevant today as when the study was written 

 in 1973. However, international cooperation appears to have been a 

 mixed affair. On the positive side, international exchange undoubtedly 

 experienced sharp growth immediately following the IGY. Precise 

 figures are not available, partly because of what is meant by an 

 "international" meeting, partly because so many meetings have been 

 held that it is difficult to keep track of them, and partly because 

 interest in compiling relevant statistics does not appear to warrant 

 the expense of collection. Such data as are available, however, indicate 

 that the number of international meetings remained fairly constant 

 throughout the early 1950s and through 1957, when the IGY began, 

 and then increased by about 25 percent during 1958 and almost 

 doubled during the next decade. (Yearbook oj International Organi- 

 zations data.) It would seem reasonable to infer that much of this 

 growth resulted from activities initiated during the IGY, 



IMPROVED TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE 



Also on the positive side was the signing by the Soviets of the 

 Universal Copyright Convention in May 1973. Prior to this time, 

 the Soviets had reproduced about 70,000 pages annually from U.S. 

 scientific journals published by the American Institute of Physics, 

 and had been in frequent communication with the Institute regarding 

 copyright permission and payment of royalties.''^ 



It would appear to be a fair assumption that these scientific com- 

 munications had a positive effect upon the Soviet decision to sign the 

 Copyright Convention. 



55 76/rf., pp. 348-3o0. 



5t Physics Today, vol. 28, Jan. 197,'). p. HO. 



