Bringing science to serve society

WHILE speaking at the annual Science, Technology and Society (STS) Forum in Kyoto in 2009, Richard Ernst, who won the Nobel prize in 1971 for developing nuclear magnetic resonance for application in chemistry, biology and medicine, said: “Science and technology are just tools; their proper usage requires foresight and responsibility for ultimate sustainability of the fate of our descendants.

“While researchers could be driven by pure curiosity, from the beginning, they should be application-oriented in satisfying a public need. Scientists and researchers must prove by the choice of relevant problems their willingness to not only serve society but to educate students to become responsible citizens.”