ABSTRACT
Scientists try to fulfil their professional wishes by swimming with the stream of science: sometimes they swim a little faster than the stream, and then have the satisfaction of making major contributions; at other times they swim with it; but quite often they fall behind in the stream. Typical scientists enjoy their work, and for some it is the love of their life. The apparent demotion of science, and of the ‘search for truth’, opens science up to criticism and comment by sociologists, who judge it of course as just another human activity. Self-regulation is also helped by bibliographical methods. These have led to great volumes of the very useful Science Citation Index which tells annually what papers have been cited, in which publication and by whom. The scientific way of comprehending the world is not the only one. The success of science depends to no small extent on the fact that it works within set limits.
