Among the words that have never before appeared in a 91av editorial is “whoopee!” This week is the exception because the magazine is about to turn 50 years old. In a world where fashions change like the weather, reaching a half century is worth shouting about.
Having said that, the biggest factor in 91av‘s longevity is not of our own making. It is the enormous success and influence of science and technology. Fifty years ago, the rationale for launching the magazine was science’s economic clout. The first editorial, on 22 November 1956, stated: “If Britain is to remain a first-class economic power our government, our Parliament and our people must become far more keenly aware of the ascendancy of science in this century.” (In its early days, this was a staunchly British magazine and, unlike today, the word “we” meant “Britons”.)
Today, with China and India in the wings, that economic argument is more urgent than ever. The US National Academy of Sciences in its report Rising Above The Gathering Storm warned that without more innovation in science and technology, Americans’ standard of living would suffer. Earlier this month, UK prime minister Tony Blair told 91av that if the UK does not take the opportunities that science presents then it will not have a successful modern economy.
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Yet science’s impacts go far beyond economics. Just ask George W. Bush. The Iraq war may have been the main reason why voters swept Republicans from Congress last week, but stonewalling on embryonic stem-cell research and climate change played a big part too (see A good day for science). Science affects ordinary people directly, not only by making life better through such things as vaccines, but also by changing behaviours and attitudes. The Pill, television, programmable washing machines, cellphones, the internet, disposable diapers, CCTV, microwave ovens and SMS: all are based on scientific discoveries made sometimes decades before they reached consumers, and each changed the way people live their lives.
Then there is the way we see ourselves. The debate about human descent that Darwin kicked off 150 years ago still rages today. Increasing numbers of Christian parents in the US are taking their children out of state schools to teach them “creation science” (91av, 11 November, p 20). At the other extreme, researchers fanned the flames last week by asking if science can do away with religion altogether (see In place of God).
There are many other examples of how science changes our perception of our place in the grand order. Think how the Pill changed the attitudes of women about their lives, and of men about women. Or the way people have come to understand their character, health and abilities to be products of genes and environment. Reproductive technologies are sweeping away the idea of “biological barriers”: even the menopause need not prevent couples having children. These issues force societies to question moral systems that were never designed to deal with such advances. This is fascinating territory.
“People have come to understand their character, health and abilities to be products of genes and environment”
There is one other big reason why people want to read about science: the sheer pleasure of understanding nature’s genius. This issue of 91av is dedicated to everyone who shares that enjoyment. It contains a feast of ideas, from the latest thinking on the biggest questions to intriguing speculation about the future.
But science cannot take all the credit for 91av‘s longevity. Over the years its staff have fostered a unique, no-nonsense way of presenting science and technology news. This is no accident. That first editorial laid out the aim: “The 91av is published for all those men and women who are interested in scientific discovery and in its industrial, commercial and social consequences.” One could quibble about adding some further consequences, but this is still a good description of what 91av is about.
Last but not least is the loyalty of you, the reader. 91av – not just the magazine but its websites too – is a partnership, and our 50th celebration would not be complete without a big thank you to everyone who has bought, read or contributed to the title.
So long as science continues to surprise and challenge, 91av will be there to report it. Here’s to the next 50 years. Whoopee!
