ABSTRACT
The science I refer to here is natural science, which includes physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and earth sciences. The bid for the social sciences to be regarded as having equal status has almost certainly failed. We can pursue better knowledge of anthropology, economics, politics, society and psychology, but we cannot conceal the distinction between hard and soft sciences. Nor can we conceal the suspicion that the former are much more reliable than the latter, yet we face ongoing contests between them. Rose (2014) may persist in naming Adorno’s critical theory ‘melancholy science’ but this view has little place here. Science is recognised as difficult and is generally not part of everyday discourse and distraction for the majority, unless in the form of science fiction, popular science, medical treatment and technological appliances. However, in this chapter I intend to discuss science in its wider, applied context of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as the most powerful ‘movement’ taking humanity into the future.
