Science and technology in world development

In the developed world many of today's most urgent problems lie on the frontiers of science and technology. Such issues include environmental pollution, nuclear power and weapons, and unemployment caused by technological innovation. By contrast, Third World countries are faced with the problem of too few scientists, too little research, and insufficient funds for technological development. Robin Clarke examines the relationships

between science, technology, and society in both the developed and the developing countries. He believes that a global view is now essential because of the close links that aid and trade have forged between rich and poor countries. Only then can we see how research has ignored key issues for Third World development, and concentrated on matters relevant only to the rich and privileged. This in turn raises controversial questions about the nature of scientific advance and about how far society is free to pull science and its applications in a chosen direction.

This book originated as a report commissione by Unesco on the contribution of science and technology to the developing world.