507 



In the case of the high-energy physics program, an understanding 

 of the goals, plans, and methodology of the discipline was essential 

 to reasonable decisionmaking in the allocation of research support. 

 The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy needed to be satisfied that 

 an orderly process of planning had been carried out, and what the 

 future costs were likely to be. However, jurisdictional situation in 

 this case afforded no opportunity for the opposition to be heard. To 

 the extent that fimds invested in basic research in high-energy physics 

 were taken from other disciplines, the competing claims of these 

 other disciplmes could not be brought to bear on the committee's 

 decisions. 



Some obstacles to tha receiving hy Congress of technical information 



There seems to be a kind of natural law that few politicians are 

 scientists and few scientists are politicians. Since, in congressional 

 investigations, they tend to be on opposite sides of the table, it may be 

 helpful to identify some of the obstacles to the flow of communications 

 from one group to the other. Reference was made earlier to congres- 

 sional difficulties with scientific jargon and terms of measurement. 

 There are manv other obstacles. 



Hypotheses 



One example is the different treatment given to hypotheses. Scien- 

 tific discipline requires that unproved generalizations, or hypotheses, 

 be rigorously identified and evidence marshaled for and against them. 

 The degree or probability that a hj^pothesis is valid needs to be shown. 

 Only when the weight of supporting evidence is overwhelming does 

 the hypothesis become a law or general principle. On the other hand, 

 in the field of political realities it is necessary to operate on the basis 

 of many unproved hypotheses, and to treat them as valid. However, 

 when a politician needs to resolve a technical issue in order to come 

 to grips with a political issue, his methodology needs to be compatible 

 Avith the canons of science. There were a number of examples observed 

 in the study in which the acceptance as valid of unproved hypotheses 

 in technical areas led to unsatisfactory decisions. Some of these were : 

 User experience is a valid test of the merit of a product. 

 A developing economy will readily accept unfamiliar, advanced 

 technology. 



The study of human behavior cannot be approached scientif- 

 ically. 



Investment in applied research automatically yields quick, tan- 

 gible benefits. 



Environmental pollution can be abated by qualitative measures. 



It would appear almost axiomatic that when a large Government 



program is being formulated on the basis of a hypothesis, a foremost 



teclmical question is to identify, challenge, and confirm the hypothesis. 



Sens ationalism 



Another obstacle concerns the relationship of a technical issue to 

 sensationalism. Frequently, issues with a technical content come to 

 the attention of the Congress as a result of (or in connection with) a 



