This made abundantly clear the need for coherent action. In early 1997, we in the APS got together with the American Chemical Society, the American Mathematical Society, and the American Astronomical Society to discuss how we could most effectively work together in making a persuasive case for science and technology. These four societies formed the nucleus of all the activity throughout the tear. We recognized that one of the most striking changes taking place in science and technology in recent years has been the rapidly increasing interdependence within and between the sciences and technologies. Breakthroughs in a given field frequently have their greatest impact in other fields that are quite remote and where they have been totally unexpected.
Technology is the engine of economic growth and competitiveness.
The clear message is that if we are to look forward to a strong economic future tomorrow, we must invest in science and technology today. This is gratifying, although there is a long way to go before these increases are actually appropriated by the Congress. There is no agreement, as yet, on how the projected surplus in the FY1999 federal budget will be distributed, and there are many competing claims on the discretionary component of that budget. For the first time in history, however, the professional socieites have played a coherent and effective role in presenting the case for continued federal investment in science and technology. Cooperation with Foreign Physical Societies.