Science and Technology Policy

Tanks like this six-ton Special Tractor (circa 1918) were first used in World War I, when innovative science for military purposes became more important.

In the contemporary world, power rests in the hands of science and scientific policy managers to a far greater extent than in the formal institutions of power. Technological expertise translates into superior industrial and military power and is perceived as the key to national dominance. Scientific decisions on matters of energy, environment, or health have a far greater impact on the daily lives of citizens than ephemeral political power. Moreover, global challenges like climate change are in essence scientific challenges that expand the power of scientists and challenge policymakers to come up with solutions that are based in science, green technology being ...