ABSTRACT
In 1917, a newspaperman interviewed Julius Rosenwald, a successful merchant who had already built a vast business empire, and asked him about his need for counsel. Rosenwald was referring to business advice, but his remarks, in the view of many contemporary decision-makers, could just as well apply to science advice. The argument goes on to assert that political decisions should be informed by the findings of science, or else the decision-makers proceed at risk to the nation; no one should decide in ignorance of the facts. Some years ago, the science advisors to President Nixon were asked to study the supersonic transport (SST), and then informed him that, for economic and environmental reasons, the SST should not be built. A society needs a vision of the future that promotes the self confidence that enables it to move onward. Science, as the dominant intellectual framework of our time, can provide that vision.
