Scotsman Archive

SCIENCE MUST USE KNOWLEDGE WISELY, 3 April, 1950
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Apr 2010, 22:53 BST
Updated 2nd Apr 2010, 23:01 BST

LORD Boyd-Orr, proposing the toast of the evening at the annual dinner of the Royal Institute of Chemistry in Glasgow Central Hotel on Saturday, said that scientists were creating new knowledge, which was placing vast new powers in the hands of mankind. These powers could be used for good or evil. In realising their responsibilities, the scientists must warn mankind and make suggestions as to how that new knowledge ought to be used for the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of civilisation. Scientists were well equipped to do that. The politicians were apt to deal with arguments, but the scientist was concerned with deductive metaphysics. There were no political barriers in chemistry, and he hoped the day would come when the national political barriers would disappear, and they would be all able to meet in a world conference and discuss how the great advances of science could be used for the promotion of the welfare of people in all countries.

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