Big Science Under Fire

Wartime breakthroughs carried science to new heights, and Russia’s first Sputnik opened wide the public purse. Now the broad enthusiasm and support for scientific research have given way to widespread animosity; these are lean times for universities and institutes that have drawn sustenance from scientific research. Here a Harvard historian examines the lovehate cycle and calls for “a new way of looking at science.” On page 101, a scientist-turnednovelist talks about the scientists themselves, how they think about their work, and what makes them different from nonscientists.