In an address at the Baker Institute on April 29, 1998, Neal Lane, director of the National Science Foundation and former professor and Provost at Rice, spoke eloquently about interconnections among science, technology, and other fields of learning. The following excerpts from his speech seem particularly fitting in the light of the curriculum committee' s efforts to assure that all Rice students gain some familiarity with the various "ways of knowing" about our world and its inhabitants:

Although scientist and non-scientist alike can marvel at the power of our knowledge in science and technology, it is the intersection of this knowledge with the goals and needs of society that is our larger responsibility. And so, I have titled my remarks today, Science, Technology, and Human Interest: Our Greatest Challenge.

I should note that in my remarks today, I sometimes abbreviate -- and use the word "science" to stand for both science and engineering research. From this perspective, science is not so much a collection of traditional disciplines but rather a way of knowing about nature, including humans and human-made devices, methodologies, and systems....

I have frequently pointed out that we are able to do increasingly outstanding science at the same time that many societal disparities and problems are also increasing. Although our long-held professional goals of teaching and research are significant, perhaps they are not enough. Rather, a further goal must be to understand the physical, moral, and the social problems that hold our civilization in the grip of numerous contradictions.

Although many scientists may not think of this as their responsibility, one of history's most eminent scientists spoke of this very issue decades ago. In 1931 -- before World War II and in the deepest days of economic depression, Einstein admonished the science community in an address at the California Institute of Technology. He said, "concern for man himself and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavors, concern for the great unsolved problems of the organization of labor and the distribution of good -- in order that the creations of our mind shall be a blessing and not a curse to mankind. Never forget this in the midst of your diagrams and equations." ...

The major problems facing the whole global society are human problems. And they will require more than technical solutions. These problems emerge out of complex patterns of overlapping consequences. ... we cannot deny that there are overlapping consequences of poverty, planetary devastation, illiteracy, aging populations, communicable diseases, mass migration of immigrants, agricultural output, energy supply, and others. Grappling with these issues collectively might seem like a completely unmanageable task, at best. But we cannot make choices among them either. They are all needs in a common tableau and operate in fluctuating balances over time. We can, however, make the same leaps of majestic proportion that created every other milestone of human progress....

So as we think about creating a complex global problem-solving agenda, we must first acknowledge that it is surely the greatest challenge the world scientific and engineering community could be asked to undertake. It will engage all fields from physics to psychology, from economics to biology, from electrical engineering to sociology. And in the long run it will require more than science and engineering. Policy makers will be crucial to any and all solutions. ...

The 21st century presents daunting challenges and extraordinary opportunities. If we accept those challenges and recognize those opportunities we will not only be civic scientists but we can be the essential humanitarians of the globe. We can do this at the same time we are advancing the frontiers of knowledge. In fact, the need for such advances will be even greater.

In the final analysis, this does not mean a focused or fixed research agenda. It does mean an openness to new research challenges and unprecedented partnerships among diverse fields and interests. It does mean a commitment to effective communication of knowledge, and connections between discovery and the use of new knowledge in service to society. And it especially means placing a high priority on education and learning for all youngsters wherever they began their lives.

We can help America, and all nations, not only solve existing problems but prevent future ones. If we come to this task with passion and commitment, we will also inspire future generations to do the same.