PART I: PLENARY SESSIONS

Space and Earth Sciences

Lloyd L. Motz, Chairman

Serge KorfT, Cochairman

MOTZ: It is quite appropriate that we begin by considering the develop- ments of science today. The title of this meeting, “Environment and Society in Transition,” can best be understood if we know-first where we are. Each of us in his own discipline does indeed “know” to some extent. Perhaps we have a great deal of knowledge; perhaps we know very much and understand very little. I hope we may concern ourselves with understanding more, and understanding more in terms of all the vast amount of knowledge we have accumulated. Here I would like to go back a few thousand years, to 92 B.C., when Lucretius, the popularizer of the theory of the atom, wrote a remark- able poem, “No Single Thing Abides,” in which he points out things that are extremely modern. He understood things, but, of course, he did not know very much; thus he remarks that the systems in the universe are constantly changing: “I see the suns, I see the systems and their forms and even these, the systems and suns, go back to their eternal drift.”

Then he makes a notable remark; he says that every atom in existence was, at one time, part of another star, that we could not be where we are or how we are unless we had passed through something else: “This bowl of milk, the pitch on yonder jar, are strange and far bound travelers coming from afar.” And finally Lucretius speaks about science, “this voice that stills the pulls of fear and through the conscience thrills.”

This is indeed the situation today: if science cannot show us the direction to peace and a better world, all our knowledge, all our understanding will be useless. It is with this goal in mind that this conference has been called; the following discussions are to be completely open-ended, nobody will be limited to delivering a prepared speech. Our first paper today is from Prof. A. G. W. Cameron; he will be followed immediately by Dr. Serge Korff.

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