Be scared
The session on science, source of security or vulnerability, offered gloomy but provocative fare.
“Extreme pessimism strikes me as the only rational stance,” said cosmologist Martin Rees. He foresees a world where the dissemination of genetic technologies means thousands or even millions of individuals can create weapons of mass destruction.
Fortunately Nobel prizewinning physicist George Charpak reckons if we can teach our kids science, they will be good citizens and not prone to fanaticism. He didn’t make clear how that would help, but he did paint an encouraging portrait of what his programme is achieving in French schools.
The other notable thing about the session was the quality both of the questions and questioners. Only in Davos (even in NY) can you have George Soros, Nobelist Sidney Prusiner and World Bank chief scientist Bob Watson in the audience asking the questions.