879 



George P. Shultz 



Breakthroughs in biological engineering, for instance, 

 raise fundamental moral questions about man's proper 

 role in the creation and alteration of life, even as they offer 

 new hope to cure diseases, produce food, and broaden our 

 understanding of the origins of }if«."We need to be con- 

 cerned about the dangers to our environment that may 

 accompany some new technologies, even while recogniz- 

 ing that other new technologies may be the source of 

 solutions to these problems. We need to ensure that the 

 revolution in communications does not infringe on our 

 right to privacy, even while recognizing the enormous 

 benefits of improved communication for education and 

 for bringing the world closer together. This is the human 

 condition: the creativity that is one part of our nature poses 

 constant challenges to the morality that is another part of 

 our nature. There is no final resting place, no permanent 

 solution — only a continuing responsibility to face up to 

 these hard dilemmas. 



We also face some difficult practical choices, and as 

 societies we address them through our political process. 

 Scientific research and development, for example, re- 

 quire financial support. Where should that support come 

 from? And what should be supported? The United States 

 will invest some $110 billion in scientific research and 

 development next year — more than Japan, France, West 

 Germany, and the United Kingdom combined. Of that 

 amount, nearly half comes from the federal government. 

 That is a large investment, taken by democratic process 

 from the American taxpayer. But it reflects a choice we 

 have all made to support scientific progress. 



It reflects our understanding that scientific advance 

 serves everyone in our society — by improving health and 

 the quality of life, by expanding our economy, by enhanc- 

 ing the competitiveness of our industries in the world 

 market, by improving our defenses, and perhaps most 

 important, simply by pushing back the frontiers of knowl- 



Yet we have also learned that government can become 

 too involved, that government bureaucracies are not al- 

 ways the best judges of where such money can most 

 usefully be spent. Today, private industry, not govern- 

 ment, is pushing hardest at the technological frontiers in 

 many fields — in electronics and biotechnology, to name 

 just two. 



The problem is to discover 

 how government support for 

 science and technology can 

 best serve the broad goals of 

 society. 



The problem, then, is to discover how government 

 support for science and technology can best serve the 

 broad goals of society. In the field of basic research, for 

 example, we cannot always count on the profit motive to 

 foster progress in those areas where research may not lead 

 to the development of marketable products for many 

 years. Government support for basic research gives learn- 

 ing and the pursuit of knowledge a chance to proceed 

 without undergoing the rigorous test of the market place. 



One particulariy worthy recipient of government sup- 

 port, therefore, is the university. The unfettered process 

 of learning and discovery that takes place mainly in 

 academia is vital. From the university comes the fun- 

 damental knowledge that ultimately drives innovation. 

 And from the university comes the pool of creative and 

 technically proficient young men and women who can use 

 that knowledge and apply it to practical problems. The 

 Reagan administration recognizes the importance of this; 

 since 1981., support for basic research at universities has 

 grown by nearly 30 percent. 



Even so, the government has limited funds, and further 

 choices have to be made about which projects to support 

 and which to cut back. Government, universities, and the 

 private sector have to work together to make these diffi- 

 cult but inescapable decisions. We as a society cannot 

 afford to turn away from the challenge of choosing. 



SCIENCE AND POLITICS 



These are not the only hard choices that have to be con- 

 fronted at the intersection of science and politics. Scien- 

 tific advances have increasingly become the focus of 

 political debate. Today, scientific questions, and the sci- 

 entists themselves, play a prominent role in the political 

 arena. 



On a wide variety of complex issues the American 

 people look to scientists as an important source of in- 



12 THE BRIDGE 



