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Science and Society in the 21st Century
Science and Society in the 21st Century
Internationally renowned speakers address issues at the nexus of science and society
slide show

An overflow crowd of Center staff and the public gathered in the Rockefeller Research Laboratories Auditorium to hear an afternoon of talks, by distinguished guest speakers, entitled Science and Society in the 21st Century.

The excitement of the previous evening's seminar extended into this second of three days of events marking the opening of The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Research Center, the matriculation of the first class of students at the Gerstner Sloan-Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the inauguration of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program.

"The activities we're celebrating have multiple dimensions with respect to the relationship of science and medicine to society, the role of art and architecture in the lives of scientists, the training and education of scientists and physicians, and the impact of the work of physicians and scientists on the way in which we think about our future as a species; and we decided to invite some of the best thinkers in the United States to come and tell us what they are thinking about these great themes," explained Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center President Harold Varmus in his welcoming remarks.

Joseph L. Goldstein, Chairman of the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and a scholar of cardiovascular disease, opened the seminar by delivering an impassioned lecture about the explosive increase in obesity around the world, terming it "arguably the biggest medical problem today . . . now reaching pandemic proportions."

To view Dr. Goldstein's entire remarks and the presentations of the other speakers referred to in this article, go to:

Videos

[You'll need the Windows Media Player which can be downloaded for free from Windows Media.]

Shirley Tilghman
Shirley Tilghman issues a call for invigorating the teaching of science in the United States.

Princeton University President Shirley M. Tilghman discoursed on the success over the past half century of the United States' scientific enterprise and its link to the process of science education. However, she warned, "We're not making the investments necessary to ensure the flow of innovative discoveries, nor are we instilling in our best and brightest a sense of curiosity about the natural world." Dr. Tilghman urged the invigoration of the teaching of science "by thinking freshly and creatively" and by offering students research opportunities as early as possible, noting that "studies establish a positive correlation between an early research experience and the likelihood of persisting with a career in science."

Bob Frasca
Bob Frasca discusses the intersection of architecture and science.

Designer of the interiors of the Zuckerman Research Center, architect Bob Frasca, partner-in-charge of design for Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, discussed the principles underlying the intersection between architecture and science. Remarking that the great 20th- and 21st-century laboratory buildings are "the modern cathedrals . . . because the cure of human disease is the most important pursuit anyone can imagine doing," he characterized the Zuckerman Research Center as "the best of the best" and promised "fifty years from now it's going to be able to do the work we're asking it to do today."

Eric Lander
Eric Lander answers the question How will new technologies and genomics affect biology and medicine?

Eric Lander, founding director of The Broad Institute, professor of biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and professor of systems biology at Harvard Medical School addressed the question How will new technologies and genomics affect biology and medicine? His answer embraced three main points. "They will transform our scientific world view into a systematic view of how we approach biology and medicine," he said. "They'll change the way we do science by necessitating greater teamwork. And they'll empower creative young scientists, who remain the driving force of all scientific progress." Dr. Lander went on to observe that "it takes a robust commitment to investing -- tied to the extraordinary opportunities right now -- that will produce the most remarkable return of anything else we [as a nation] invest in."

Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong talks about increasing investment in research and expanding access to care for patients with cancer.

Champion cyclist, three-time Olympian, and seven-time winner of the Tour de France Lance Armstrong was the afternoon's closing speaker. Mr. Armstrong recounted his treatment for metastatic testicular cancer, talked about his advocacy for patients through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and echoed the call of earlier speakers for increased investment in research. "We're not doing a very good job of providing the best healthcare to all Americans," he observed. "And that, in what is arguably the greatest country in the world, is unacceptable." He next discussed how to effect change politically. "Can you imagine what six million voters could do if, with their votes, they said, It's unacceptable that the budget for the National Cancer Institute is going down? Believe me, politicians on both sides would pay attention," and, Mr. Armstrong concluded, "while there are no more bike races for me, if we can see budget increases, see progress on the scientific level against cancer, see survival rates increase, that'll make seven Tours look really small."
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