Evening star., 1957-12-22
IS TECHNOLOGY ENOUGH
Seasonal Thoughts
On the Big Race

The ipriter OF many articles
for this section on legal. scien-
tihc and social subjects Offers
some provocative thoughts oc-
caStoned bv the season and the
present state OF mans AFFAIRS.
BY PHIL YEAGER
There Is one kind OF scientist
who Is viewing the endeavors Of
his fellows at this Christmas sea-
son with mixed emotions. wonder
ing IL the accent ON Mars has not
become so strong as to obscure
the Star in the East.
He is the anthropologist. the
historian, the political scientist,
the lawyer. In short. the social
scientist.
While his desire for security and
his admiration for the defenders
Of his country are as strong as
anyone else's. he is little bit dis
turbed. at the grand rush to the
altar OF technology.
Admitting the need for accel-
Grafton in basic physical research
and development. this man still
squirms uncomfortably when he
hears such eminent scientists as
DR.. Edward Teller saying:
IF the Russians surpass us in
technology in the years ahead.
there is very little doubt who will
determine the future Of the
world"
For the social scientist is a
long-range operator. He thinks in
terms Of centuries. He deals in
human relationships. in cause and
effect. In trends and projections
To him, the future of the world"
Is q pretty big item to be con-
trolled by any identifiable who"
And right now. as he stands
on the threshold Of space. looking
down the long corridor Of progress
toward the inter-planetary world
Of tomorrow. he cannot help con-
templating the force which first
appeared in Bethlehem 1000
years ago.
The Long View
The social scientist does not
concern himself professionally with
religion. He himself Is a scientist
along the lines Of the nuclear
theoretician. the electronics engi-
neer and the rocket expert-even
though he works with more elu-
siye and less definable elements.
It is, in fact. his scientists pen
chant for realism which makes
him so aware of the power OF
Christian precepts in their rela-
ton to the laws of science and
the universe.
Here's why.
The anthr0pOlOgist in this man.
ruminating about the theses OF
his trade. knows that the mental
capacity Of humans Is not much
different than It was 5000 years
ago-a split-second In the earth's
hour. He recognizes that the ply
sical scientist who is probing the
microcosm and macroeosm Of his
world has the advantage Of work
ing from q higher plateau Of
learning. a platform Of knowledge
laboriouSly constructed by his
forbears. But the fact that the
physical scientist has reached a
critical point in his work. that
he has apparently arrived at the
Era Of the Breakthrough, does
not necessarily indicate a similar
advance in his personal human
capacities.
The historian in the social
scientist. checking backwards into
the works and understanding Of
ancient men. quickly finds at least
half a dozen whose know-how-
II properly applied-could have
resulted in an amazingly modern
technical civilization. AS they ap-
peared in the pages Of history.
these included Pythagorus. Hip
pocrates. Plato. Aristotle. Euclid,
Archimedes, Ptolemy III. among
others. All lived centuries before
the first Christmas Day.
The political scientist in this
composite observer has inquired
into the reason why nearly Is
centuries had to elapse between
the discoveries Of the early Greek
acknowledgements and the
day when man first broke the
atomic code. He believes he
knows at least part Of the an
swer: Namely. the political cli-
mate refused to nourish the sci
entific flower. And by "poIitical
climate" he means not only gov.
ernment. but social and religion:
doctrines. class prejudice. eco
nomic suppression. superstition
etc. Nations were bent, as some
stiIl are, on power, wealth Of
maintenance Of the status quo
Truth. as q useful commodity
was Q poor relation.