Science and technology week begins today

2002/11/18 Mendiburu, Joana - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Teknologia
• Ikerketa-zentroak

Today the Science and Technology Week organized by Saretek begins at the Euskalduna Palace. The aim is to spread the culture of innovation in society, so that throughout the week there will be talks on different topics and topics in the technological parks of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country.

The presentation was attended by numerous politicians, including the Basque Country's Lehendakari, Juan José Ibarretxe, the Minister of Industry, Josu Jon Imaz, and the Mayor of Bilbao, Iñaki Azkuna, numerous businessmen and scientists from the Basque Country. Among them was CSIC research professor Javier Etxeberria, who has offered a conference entitled Technology in the Modern Society.
We asked him some questions:

Despite living in the information society, it is clear that there is a large gap in knowledge of science and technology.

Yes, the eurobarometer has recently shown that there is a large information deficit. 70% of society is very interested in science (especially health and ecology), but people are not satisfied with the information they receive. This demonstrates a major structural problem. There is no communication between society and science. The
main way is television and it is evident that television shows do not reflect the interest of society for science. To disseminate knowledge
of science through television, in addition to scientific outreach programs, competitions on scientific topics can be held and scientific topics introduced into leisure programs, something that is not done.

In the press there are quite interesting additives, but I think the dissemination of science here works very little and is not given enough importance. For example, there are no science schools.

The Internet is therefore the most widely used way to receive information on science and technology.

But I would like to emphasize that, together with the media, teachers are the ones who convey the image of science and technology, and therefore I think that more attention must be paid to education. Teachers should be trained to be good disseminators, take scientists to institutes, etc.

It is clear, at least, that the policy of socializing science and technology must be integral.

What do you think of such events that aim to bring technology closer to society?

The relationship between science and technology and society is very complex, firstly because very little attention has been paid to the social impact of technology. Engineers and companies have worked according to their own criteria and values. But this model is not enough and also generates distrust and social rejection. The integration of society into science and technology policy. Until now science was that of scientists and engineering that of engineers, but science and technology are also social and we have to investigate what society thinks.

I think that above all we have to take into account the opinion of the users, which is the one who best knows the devices. Users are the ones who make one use or another of the devices, so they are one of the factors of innovation. Among communities and users of science and technology, due to lack of communication, an important source of innovation is lost.

As for users of new technologies, what do you think of defining the development of society based on these uses?

Today, to measure the development of a society, only instrumental values such as internet connections are taken into account, but I do not agree with it. It is said that we are in the information society just because we are connected to the Internet, but that is not correct.

In education, for example, you have to take the school to the Internet and not to the Internet school. That is, you have to take computers to school, but if there is an internet network between schools. It makes no sense as long as there is no telematic education network. In this network there would be real values (social, linguistic, cultural…), so
you should not measure connections to the Internet, but local networks that are on the Internet. Developing an information society is not increasing Internet connections, but having life in the electronic space. This space should be full of social, cultural, ecological values, etc., but at the moment it does not exist. I have been saying that for years, but I have not been very careful.