Ezra's Bookshelf

Frontiers of Illusion

by Daniel Sarewitz · 250 pages · ~4.5 hrs

Science & TechnologyPhilosophy

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Daniel Sarewitz challenges the conventional wisdom that scientific progress naturally translates into social benefit. He argues that the relationship between research and societal needs has become too tenuous, with scientific institutions pursuing their own agendas while claiming public benefit. Sarewitz examines how federal science policy evolved after World War II, creating a system where researchers largely determine their own priorities while promising that discoveries will eventually prove useful. The result, he contends, is too much research disconnected from practical problems and too little focused on pressing societal challenges. The book proposes reforms to strengthen the connection between scientific work and public interests. Sarewitz argues for more problem-oriented research, closer collaboration between scientists and the communities meant to benefit from their work, and institutional changes that reward practical impact alongside publication. His critique is not anti-science but rather calls for science to fulfill its democratic promise more effectively. For anyone interested in science policy, research funding, or the relationship between knowledge and social improvement, this book offers a bracing alternative to triumphalist narratives about scientific progress.

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