Spectrum; Science and Society: A Race Against Time

Item Information

Title:
Spectrum; Science and Society: A Race Against Time
Description:
Science and Society: A Race Against Time brings together two of Americas most distinguished men of science, Dr. Lee A. DuBridge, president of the California Institute of Technology, and Dr. Simon Ramo, architect of the United States missile arsenal, in a discussion of the growing gap between science and the society it serves a gap which threatens our very future on this planet. There are many myths about the future impact of technology on society which must be explored and exploded if we are to cast some light on tomorrows world. Dr. Ramo and Dr. DuBridge attack the myth of the robot society and 1984. Dr. Ramo points out that science and technology are tools for advancing social maturity, but if we ignore their implications, we cannot and will not use these tools to their fullest advantage. We are therefore in a race against time. As Ramo sees it, all social problems result from the success of technology, not its failure. Those who attempt to understand our society, he says, must come to recognize the impact of physical science on it. We can look at nuclear power and realize that we can destroy society long before we know how to prevent that destruction. We now understand the genetic code but we are not able to affect birth control. DuBridge calls for a new profession, that of social engineers, with the role of relating technology to society. He points to the necessity of both understanding the problem and being able to do something about it. The social engineer would have the responsibility of bringing pressure to bear on the government for the passage of legislation needed in this area. Ramo says the rate of technological advance has far outstripped social advance, a situation pointed up, he says, by the very lack of DuBridges social engineers. If genetics are as badly handled as smog or transportation, he states, then we are going to have a terrible mess. It is one way of destroying society. We could become a robot society as we marry the computer. We are becoming an automated, mechanical society. To DuBridge, such a situation is very far ahead, but there is a real fear that science is a threat. The idea of science ruining our lives is silly. Science hurts no one. Society hurts itself. We somehow turn around and use useful things for our own destruction. Its an improper use of science. Imagine, Ramo says, extraterrestrial life visiting us. They are advanced beyond us or they wouldnt be here. What they would look for is how well we are applying the laws of the universe, because application of what is learned is more important than learning new laws. For some time weve been in the science age, now were trying to break into the social age. I have great confidence in the next generation. Spectrum - Science and Society: A Race Against Time is a 1967 production of National Educational Television. This program was produced through the facilities of KCET-TV, Los Angeles. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche) Spectrum consists of 101-142 half-hour episodes produced in 1964-1969.
Production company:
KCET (Television station : Los Angeles, Calif.)
Production company:
National Educational Television and Radio Center
Creator:
Ramo, Simon
Host:
Prowitt, David
Creator:
DuBridge, Lee
Producer:
Mossman, Tom
Producer:
Prowitt, David
Date:
March 12, 1967
Format:
Film/Video
Genre:
Magazine
Location:
Library of Congress
Collection (local):
American Archive of Public Broadcasting Collection
Series:
Library of Congress > Spectrum
Subjects:
Technology
Science
Extent:
00:29:49.588
Link to Item:
https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-cz3222s409
Terms of Use:
Rights status not evaluated.
Contact host institution for more information.
Notes:
Episode Number: 52