Science outside the Lab

Science can't be conducted in a vacuum: that was the message hundreds of alumni heard at the Tech Day program "When Worlds Collide: Science, Politics and Power in the 21st Century." The one-day program, held June 8, inspired discussion about the impact of science outside the lab, with one session in the morning and three in the afternoon.

Panelists during the morning session discussed the future of education in the sciences, the role of the media in reporting science news, and the challenges that arise when scientists and politicians work together to decide public-policy matters.

John M. Deutch '61, PhD '66, Institute Professor in chemistry and former director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, said, "Any issue that involves people and jobs has a political dimension.Significant problems cannot be categorized as technical or nontechnical."

In an afternoon session on the future of engineering education, Daniel Roos '61, SM '63, PhD '66, explained that technology's omnipresence today was the impetus for the Institute's new interdisciplinary Engineering Systems Division. Panelists in another afternoon session, "Science and the Spin Doctors," discussed how advocacy can distort scientific findings.

The final afternoon session explored areas of research at MIT, including artificial intelligence, genomics, technologies to improve the quality of life of older adults and environmental sustainability.
A Tech Day video can be viewed on the MIT World Web site at web.mit.edu/mitworld.