MONOGRAPH Mètode Science Studies Journal, 10 (2020): 17-23. University of Valencia. DOI: 10.7203/metode.10.12536 ISSN: 2174-3487. eISSN: 2174-9221. Submitted: 29/05/2018. Approved: 25/10/2018. SCIENCE AND THE CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME A reflection on the future role of scientific research Pere Puigdomènech i rosell Science has developed as a particularly extensive and intense intellectual activity since the end of the nineteenth century. Its results, and those from a complex set of technologies, are shaping the lives of our citizens and influencing some of the global parameters of our planet. In this context, science professionals formulate their objectives in terms of the problems faced by their disciplines as a result of internal dynamics, as well as the demands made by society. For scientists, reflecting on these different perspectives to define research activities is a necessity. Thus, they should also participate in reflecting on the issues that are considered important for the future of our society. Keywords: science and society, challenges of science, matter sciences, life sciences. ■ INTRODUCTION the systematic use of electronic devices that entered our lives only fifty years ago and has considerably Individuals from the human species take a long changed our lives. It is also true that the number time to grow. When a steer or a colt, which are very of members of our species has increased rapidly in close to our species, are born, it takes them just a recent times, especially in cities (DESA, 2017). As few minutes to stand up and run, and it takes just a a result, our need for all kinds of resources has also few years for them to be fertile and become adults. increased. At the same time, the structure of our Our children take months to walk, years to be society, as well as our families, is changing rapidly. fertile, and even longer until we Coming back to children, during consider them ready to become the last century their numbers full members of our society. «One of the general feelings at have fallen dramatically in the Different human groups have most affluent societies; most managed this process, which is the beginning of the twenty- families now have one or two vital for survival, in a way that first century is that we live in children, while the number of allowed them to adapt to their couples who choose not to have environment and these processes an accelerated world» children is increasing and very have profoundly changed over few now have ten or twelve, the centuries and millennia, which was common only a short depending on the part of the planet. Adults and older time ago. This adds to the continued increase in life people have most likely always wondered how the expectancy resulting in a society whose age structure young will manage to survive in the world they are is shifted towards older people. This change is being left with, and at this point in history, this is a central strongly felt in European societies. The effects of question in our debates. In order to resolve it, we must advances in medicine and especially contraceptives resort to one of the main tools we have devised to try and antibiotics, among other factors, have a lot to do to understand the world we live in, the one we call with this. science. Because of this situation, there is a certain One of the general feelings at the beginning of the urgency in answering the question of what world twenty-first century is that we live in an accelerated we are leaving to our children and grandchildren. world. This is true in some respects, for example, The societies of previous centuries were certainly MÈTODE 17 MONOGRAPH The challenges of science Thiago Barletta / Unsplash The increase in life expectancy and the drop in birth rate of the most prosperous societies results in an age structure shifted towards older people. This change is being strongly felt in European societies. ■ MATTER SCIENCES concerned about the prospect of another war like the one they had just suffered, the consequences of a bad The twentieth century was the century of harvest which could prevent them from producing physics. Towards the end of the previous enough food, or an epidemic in which they would lose century someone said that we already knew family members. There were individuals in all these everything about the forces that emerge societies who went out on clear between material objects, nights to follow the movement of such as gravity, electricity, the stars or who wondered what «We have created a complex and magnetism. Likewise, was behind the mountains rising some of the ideas that on the horizon or how people society that provides us with gave rise to the atomic from distant countries lived. But, many solutions, but also theory of matter had more specifically, some tried to already been formulated, solve their problems and transmit creates many needs» mainly by the nascent what they had found to their discipline of chemistry. descendants. Our situation is But the limitations somewhat similar now, but there are many of us, we of the classical physics theories appeared Patrick Hendry / Unsplash are all connected in one way or another, and we have very early in the century and in the period created a complex society that provides us with many leading up to World War II new and grand solutions, but also creates many needs. We are also conceptions of physics were developed: what aware that now we know much more about the world we call quantum mechanics and the theory we live in and we need to find ways to use what we of relativity. These theories have provided know to solve global, regional, and personal problems a very complex framework for explaining the (Puigdomènech, 2016). material world, from the universe to the most basic components of matter. These theoretical concepts 18 MÈTODE MONOGRAPH The challenges of science have had important consequences for our conception of the world, but also for our lifestyle. We only need to remember that the understanding and development of semiconductors relies on quantum theory and that this is also the origin of the electronics and microelectronics upon which we base the digital applications that are now revolutionising our world. Matter sciences are therefore indebted to the global vision of the forces that govern matter. These were provided by physics and have been essential for the emergence of technological applications that have radically changed human life in recent centuries. The success of today’s physics NOAA Photo Library theories does not conceal their shortcomings. The lack of a global theory integrating quantum physics and Those who seek solutions to the production of energy without relativity, the lack of an explanation for effects on the climate or who want to reduce excessive waste of the matter-antimatter asymmetry, or our ignorance all kinds are destined to study matter sciences. The picture shows regarding the nature of dark matter and energy in plastic debris and other types of waste at the Kanapou Bay beach, the universe are some of the current gaps in physics theory. Regarding the applications, the control in Hawaii (USA). of nuclear fusion to obtain a powerful and non- polluting source of energy, the development of light applications, quantum computers, or new materials are some of the challenges facing several physics disciplines. Evidently, matter sciences, which include physics and chemistry, are the destination for those who seek solutions in the production of energy without affecting the climate, or for those who want to reduce excessive waste of all kinds, one of our essential problems. Society wonders if the world we are leaving to our descendants is one in which they will be able to live with a similar level of well-being to ours. ■ LIFE SCIENCES In the second half of the twentieth century, life sciences had somehow taken over as leaders in the creation of scientific ideas. On the one hand, concepts formulated in the nineteenth century such as biological evolution, the laws of hereditary transmission, or cell theory laid the foundation for coherent The most important sources of energy today are fossil fuels and their massive use is one of the causes of the changes we currently conceptions about the way living organisms function. see on our planet’s climate. The picture shows a refinery in West On the other hand, physics or chemistry approaches Bountiful (Utah, USA). were applied to materials and biological populations MÈTODE 19 MONOGRAPH The challenges of science and have provided an avalanche of new information understand the behaviour of large biological systems making it possible to study everything ranging from and their interactions with the environment. All of the most intricate detail of living organisms to the this makes it possible to integrate data from a wide behaviour of large ecological systems. This way, variety of sources that provide an overview of the it was possible to formulate a coherent vision of the functioning of cells, organisms, or ecosystems at a origin and evolution of biological species, including level that was impossible until very recently. It is humans. We have progressively come to understand possible that the great methodological developments the main pathologies that affect our species and we that have taken place in recent years have been are trying to understand the consequences of our brought about by the appearance of several new intensive direct or indirect action on all the species approaches to the analysis of the large molecules that that populate the planet. make up living organisms, especially DNA. These This far into the twenty-first century, biology developments have recently accelerated, particularly continues to face important challenges at the frontiers DNA sequencing and biocomputational analyses, but of its research. We are exploring details related to the also the analysis of images that influence many fields components of biological matter and their interactions of biology, including the analysis of large animal and in the cellular environment up to the atomic level. plant populations. These methods have allowed issues The knowledge we have accumulated over the last of great social impact to be raised. Two examples are half century is now so vast that we can combine its genetic analyses of individual humans and the use complex data to provide integrated insights into the of this data in medical decisions, and the results of way living things function. Yet, we are still trying to global-scale climate change studies. 20 MÈTODE MONOGRAPH The challenges of science ■ THE CHALLENGES OF SCIENCE Matter sciences and life sciences are the two major divisions of today’s scientific endeavours. Obviously, we could debate whether to include the disciplines that deal with human society as sciences, or the status of mathematics or engineering in this context, NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Suomi NPP VIIRS data from Miguel Román, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and this discussion is especially relevant now that the boundaries between disciplines are becoming increasingly blurred. But there is another perspective we must not forget. It can be argued that science – or natural philosophy, as it was also called until the Enlightenment – emerged from human curiosity leading people to wonder why things happen. However, we must accept that science is also an essential element in providing answers to the main problems facing human beings as individuals and as a society, especially in today’s world. These general challenges were the subject of reflection in international-level institutions created after World War II and have recently led to the formulation of the so-called sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in September 2015 (UN, 2015). These are seventeen goals, each with a very different scope and potential impact on the challenges for science. Of course, ending hunger or increasing human health are two objectives that have always been present in life- sciences research. Achieving general access to water and energy is also a constant objective for physics research, as are other goals related to the impacts of human activity on the balance of the planet, such as Our society currently has much higher requirements than less the climate or underwater and terrestrial life. We are than a century ago. Let us think, for example, of our need to currently wondering how new digital technologies access energy or digital communication networks. The picture shows a photograph taken from the NASA’s Goddard Space Flight and robotics will potentially impact employment. Centre at night in which the patterns of human settlement on the We must also bear in mind that research itself can planet can be observed thanks to the electrical grid. only be carried out in an environment of freedom and peace and must also aim to reduce inequalities between human populations and, especially, gender «One of the current challenges for science inequalities, as the SDGs demand. From a more general point of view, we must is to give citizens the best possible also argue that hunger, bad weather, or disease are information so that they can make the problems that humans have always tried to solve through knowledge and research, and these problems necessary decisions» are very similar to those faced by our ancestors 12,000 years ago, when Neolithic society began. On the one hand, our society now has much higher requirements than less than a century ago. Let us think, for example, of our need to access energy or digital communication networks, two resources that have only been available for less than a century. On the other hand, the human population has grown exponentially over the last hundred years and all sorts MÈTODE 21 MONOGRAPH The challenges of science of activities have developed in such a way that their environmental impact is starting to be felt on a planetary scale. These problems are partly because of the application of our knowledge. For example, one of the reasons (not the only one) for the increase in the size of the human population is the application of our medical knowledge, which has extended our life spans and given us better health; the increase in the size of the human population is one of the factors that has produced a huge impact on our society and on the demand for all sorts of resources. For example, one of the essential resources is food, which is a basic need for everyone. The demands for food put pressure on agricultural and livestock production, which in turn, relies on the occupation of land and Alex Kotliarskyi the use of water, fertilisers, and pest control products to maintain production (FAO, 2018). Our society has gradually adapted to the accessibility of some We have become accustomed to using digital technologies with energy sources for activities that are essential to which we process many types of data and through which we our lives today, such as the transport of people and communicate extensively. goods or the use of several machines in our homes, our industries, and our lives (IEA, 2017). Among the modification of the human species has most common systems are those that allow us to use remained closed: this possibility has been digital technologies based on electronic systems with rejected except in very specific cases of which we process all types of data and communicate tissues that could be modified outside the extensively. The most important sources of energy human body. However, the emergence of today are fossil fuels, and their massive use is one new, more targeted genetic modification of the causes of the current changes in our planet’s techniques has put this debate back on the climate (IPCC, 2014). The same could be said of table. At the other end of the spectrum resources such as metals or building materials, and all of biological analysis, at the planetary or this produces a volume of waste which we often do not ecological-environment scale, the question know how to process. of whether to act is also the subject of Because of the impact of an increasing population, debate. massive use of energy and other resources, waste Therefore, in the first decades of the generation and its effects on the climate and on twenty-first century, we find ourselves biological diversity, we must reflect on how we use in a situation in which, for part of the our knowledge and new technologies. As we have population, humans’ access to basic previously seen, this knowledge has considerably resources is guaranteed as never before. expanded in recent years. In life sciences we have Moreover, a wide range of technologies, for explored miniscule cell functions and mechanisms example, in energy or telecommunications, Ryoji Iwata / Unsplash related to the transmission of genetic information. This have gradually appeared and given knowledge also generates possibilities for acting upon rise to new dimensions of human life this information, i.e., to modify the genes of different which may become new rights that must biological organisms – technology which has already be guaranteed. Human activity has been used in bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals within simultaneously grown exponentially and the regulations of different countries and surrounded this is producing planetary effects that may affect the by intense debates. So far, the debate on the genetic ability of future generations to attain levels of well- 22 MÈTODE MONOGRAPH The challenges of science being like those enjoyed by at least some of the human population today (large minorities still do not have access to these levels of well-being). Thus, we find ourselves in a situation where we must make complex decisions without the mechanisms required to respond to them, even though our knowledge is broader and deeper than ever and therefore, we should be better prepared to face all kinds of challenges. In this context, the public demands on those who cultivate science are numerous and often contradictory. One of the current challenges for science is to give citizens the best possible information so that they can make the necessary decisions and provide, where possible, the tools to act in the direction society National Institutes of Health, USA decides. It is also a challenge to ensure that the results of research reach the intended recipients as soon as possible. This is done through industrial activity, which has its own interests and dynamics and can result in conflicts of interest that can damage the credibility of science in the eyes of citizens. The debate on the One of the reasons for the increase in the size of the human challenges of science cannot be isolated from the population is the application of our medical knowledge, which concerns of society as a whole. It is also true that the has extended our lives and improved our health. The picture solutions to many of the questions facing our society are not only scientific and technological, but without shows a laboratory at the Vaccine Research Centre at the USA National Institutes of Health. access to the best scientific analysis and technologies, the solution to most of them will never be found. REFERENCES DESA. (2017). World population prospects: The 2017 Revision. Key findings and advance tables. New York: United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/publications/ world-population-prospects-the-2017-revision.html FAO. (2018). The state of food security and nutrition in the world. Building climate resilience for food security. Rome: FAO. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/state-of-food- security-nutrition/en/ IEA. (2017). World energy outlook 2017. Paris: International Energy Agency. Retrieved from https://www.iea.org/ weo2017/ IPCC. (2014). Climate change 2014. Synthesis Report. Geneva: IPCC. Retrieved from http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/ Puigdomènech, P. (2016). Desafíos del futuro. Doce dilemas y tres instrumentos para afrontarlos en el duodécimo milenio. Barcelona: Crítica. UN. (2015). About the Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ sustainable-development-goals/ PERE PUIGDOMÈNECH I ROSELL. Graduate in Physics and PhD in Biology. He is a research professor at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB) in Cerdanyola (Barcelona, Spain), has worked in the fields of biophysics, molecular biology, and genomics and his research focuses on plants. Some of the topics he has touched upon in his The increase in the size of the human population is one of the papers include the communication of research to the citizenry, scientific factors that has produced the greatest impact on our society and on policy, and the integrity of science. He has managed research centres and is an active member of European-level and Catalan-language institutions.  pere.puigdomenech@cragenomica.es the demand for all sorts of resources. The picture shows an aerial view of a Shibuya street (Japan). MÈTODE 23