Science as a human value.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s comments on space exploration, told me that the ultimate goal of any medical researcher was “to touch the face of God”.1 When pushed for clarification, he asserted that science – neuroscience in particular – is a utopian pursuit (free from the foibles and fallacies that normally plague people), whose practitioners (i.e. scientists) must altruistically strive to make fundamental insights into the workings of Nature, Humankind and the Human Mind. Idealistic though this statement may be, it is somewhat incomplete, failing to adequately capture the real impact of science upon day-to-day human progress, and neglecting to fully represent the relationship of modern science to the standards by which humans conduct their lives. Whether we like it or not, science is unquestionably an integral part of the modern human culture and of the ongoing human struggle. This is not a new idea – perhaps more than anyone else, the eminent Polish-British scientist Jacob Bronowski, through his writings and presentations, was a passionate advocate of this dictum.2 Science and the practice of science are very human activities. In modern times, the principles and practices of science have become increasingly complex and ever-changing. As conventionally practiced, science is a multi-disciplinary process dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge via the human-driven organization of data; in turn, this leads to the identification of new information with which to facilitate the continuing search for unifying principles amongst previously unrecognized connections and likenesses, thereby enabling humankind to better recognize the underexploited (or overexploited) potential of nature, while lending additional order and meaning (and beauty) to the human experience. The modern world is penetrated, permeated and powered by science, and to neglect the complex interrelationship between science and humankind is dangerous – especially when one considers the multitude of problems presently being experienced by the collected peoples of the world. Currently, humankind is confronting a myriad of problems. Although the looming spectre of oil shortages always garners considerable attention from the press, the worldwide shortage of potable water is a much greater issue. Life without oil is seriously compromised; life without water is seriously impossible. Regrettably, the problems presented by these impending water shortages may well be compounded by potential food shortages. An environment stressed by unchecked pollution and a climate altered by the processes of global warming (whether secondary to human activities, or not) have the capacity to produce catastrophic crop failures. When combined, water and food shortages will have a global health impact that will herald profound societal changes, straining