Towards an Understanding of Contemporary Science and Technology

Global Science and Technology

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE SERIES

Earth and atmospheric sciences> cybernetics> nanotechnology> biotechnology> IT> material sciences and engineering> nuclear and

weapons technology> space sciences> environmental sciences> forensic sciences> robotics and AI.

Gold Mercury’s Global Governance Series is designed to offer an informative and invaluable insight into how our world works. The series is structured according to Gold Mercury’s Global Governance Model™ which identifies eight Global Governance challenge areas and a number of corresponding subareas. In each area we address where major policy discussion emanates from, who the key actors are, what developments and challenges we can expect the future to present and which actors are making a considerable contribution to finding global solutions to global challenges.

Global Governance Model ™

8

Global Governance Areas

Global Environment

Global Peace & Security

International Law & Humanitarian Affairs

Global Health

SYNERGY DESIGN

Global Economic & Social Policy

Global Science & Technology

Global Culture Global Resources

The Global Governance Model name and framework are trademarks of Gold Mercury International.

™

Towards an Understanding of Contemporary Science and Technology Scientific revolutions have had, and continue to have, the ability to transform conceptual frameworks of reality and to shape subsequent responses to this reality. That is to say, scientific paradigms serve to underpin our view of the world.

While science seeks to observe, investigate and explain phenomena, technology can be understood as the application of science to achieve commercial or industrial ends. Contemporary global science and technology is a broad field of study, encompassing a number of ever-evolving disciplines emerging from the traditional branches of physics, chemistry and biology. Its role in the process of globalisation cannot be underestimated. Scientific revolutions have had, and continue to have, the ability to transform conceptual frameworks of reality and to shape subsequent responses to this reality. That is to say, scientific paradigms serve to underpin our view of the world.

Thomas S Kuhn, in his seminal 1962 work The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, put forward the notion of paradigms as incommensurable fusions of scientific practice and scientific conceptual schemes. Einstein’s theory of relativity is just one classic example of a scientific revolution that advanced our understanding of the world. >

4 GOLD MERCURY INTERNATIONAL Eight Global Governance Areas: Global Science and Technology

In today’s world global science expertise is popularly considered to hold the solution to the energy, environmental and health challenges that we are facing. In an uncertain regulatory environment, however, many are concerned about the validation, misuse and unforeseen risks of emerging fields of science and the subsequent technological applications of this science. Governance responses to these concerns are currently fragmented in character and serve to confuse the agency and architecture of the regulatory environment. Central to this confusion is the emergence of new science and technologies and cross-national differences in the governance of technological risks.

Differences in the accumulation of scientific and technological knowledge between the developed and developing world is both a driver and a product of socioeconomic standing. It has been argued that, if the United Nations (UN) are to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set for 2015, this will require approaches that place science and technology at the centre of development policy (Juma et al., 2001).

Global investment in science and innovation is, however, subject to fragmentation across both the public and private sectors. While the distinction between the public and the private has long been considered a crucial ordering device in society and a means to shape much of the debate surrounding forms of governance, it is commonly argued that funding by the private sector of what is essentially a global public good is not the ultimate solution and in fact, by merging public and private funds, we could create a more effective system of governance. Funding remains a pivotal issue in regard to science and innovation from the perspective that, if we are to meet the global challenges ahead, we cannot afford to lose morale, talent and first class science.

Biotechnology Biotechnology is technology based on biology and biological processes. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines biotechnology as, “any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.”

Biotechnology is commonly used in agriculture, food science, medicine, information technology The United Nations Convention on and industry. All biotechnological applications are Biological Diversity (CBD) defines based upon the science of bioengineering. Through biotechnology as, “any technological biotechnology, disciplines such as genetics and cell biology are, in turn, linked to practical disciplines application that uses biological systems, such as information technology, chemical engineering living organisms, or derivatives thereof, and biorobotics.

to make or modify products or processes for specific use.”

Biotechnology and the Gene Revolution An organism’s complete genetic makeup is represented by its complete DNA sequence, its genome. The Human Genome Project, completed in April 2003, spurred a revolution in genomics and biotechnology innovation by successfully mapping the complete genetic blueprint for a human being. Biotechnology is used to manipulate these genes to cure genetic diseases and further improve other areas of life. The genomic era is now a reality and the impacts on biology, health and society remain to be seen. >