Address by Mr Noel Treacy TD Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce at the Launch of "Understanding the Natural World - Science Today" by Dr. William Reville Wednesday 1st March, 2000 at 7.00pm

I am delighted to be invited here this evening to launch Dr. William Reville's collection of essays "Understanding the Natural World".

Dr. Reville has set himself an onerous task: to provide within less than 250 pages a common sense answer to all of life's great questions, or when that isn't possible, to at least phrase the questions properly. It is a daunting project - particularly when one considers that previous attempts to provide the answer to life, the universe and everything else may not have been particularly successful. Of course, this sometimes depends on the questions being asked.

J.B.S Haldane, an eminent 19th century biologist, was once buttonholed by a group of theologians who asked for his assistance in resolving an argument. The question they had was simple: could the biologist draw any conclusions about the nature of God from observing his creation? The scientist paused for a moment. "An inordinate fondness for beetles," he replied.

Well, ask a silly question. In a similar spirit, and with perhaps as much of a chance of obtaining a useful answer, I would like to pose the question: what can we learn about Dr. Reville from reading these essays? The first thing that strikes the reader is the breadth of Dr. Reville's learning. He appears equally at ease in all fields, and has a knack of getting right to the nub of an issue, be it the origin of life or the ethics of cloning. He is not afraid to offer the reader his honest opinion on controversial issues- especially in his own field of biochemistry.

Most importantly of all, he is constantly at pains to show the reader that science is still developing and that the world of research is still fraught by debates - sometimes dramatic, sometimes painful, always stimulating.

Yet although the knowledge on display here is formidable, the overall impression is one of modesty and generosity. Dr Reville never attempts to flaunt his expertise, or push his personality to the fore, in the manner of some showmen scientists. A more apt description of Dr. Reville's role would be that of a legal counsellor- giving us vital information about how the world works and how this effects us, in a clear and friendly style. In fact these essays read so easily it is easy to forget the hard work that has gone into them- and the rigorous mindset which informs them. For make no mistake, this book is informed by a strong moral conviction: a conviction that all citizens of the modern world have a right to know about how scientific developments effect their lives. I concur entirely with this attitude.

As Dr. Reville says himself, science is far too important to be left to scientists. I feel that a possible alternative title for this collection could be "The Universe: a user's guide".

None of this will come as a surprise to any of the regular followers of Dr. Reville's weekly column in the Irish Times, from which this selection of essays has been taken. Over the past decade there has been a sea-change in the prominence and quality of science coverage in Irish newspapers- and this change, it is fair to say, has been spearheaded by the Irish Times.

It is worthwhile considering just how far we have come from the days when science stories in newspapers, when they appeared at all, were curt, authoritative and dull. Science was characterised as a monolithic realm, separate from real life, where boffins with bunsen burners slaved away in quiet at their desks and only broke cover to announce their discoveries to a perplexed world. There was no indication in these reports of the debates raging in universities, of the thrill of discovery and innovation, of the drama of conflicting theories, or of the beauty and elegance of fundamental equations- no sense, above all, of how exciting science can be. Worse still, the reading public was in no way encouraged to become involved in the scientific process- either to have an opinion, to query the results of research or to ask about the impact these great discoveries would have upon their lives.

There is no question that over decades these reports have adversely effected the public profile of science. Yet in recent years we have seen a resurgence of interest in scientific topics. The remarkable popular success of books like "Longitude" and "Fermat's Last Theorem" in recent years bears witness to renewed public interest in the adventure of science, and an increased curiosity about the process of discovery.

The Irish Times was the first Irish newspaper to recognise this upsurge of interest and to encourage and develop its science readership through the appointment of a Science Editor. Reading the Irish Times science pages today one is struck by the brightness of presentation, and the range of the stories - from news items about Irish Government initiatives to informative guides for the layperson on evolution or quantum theory. Under Mr. Dick Ahlstrom's guidance, the Irish Times has found a way of embedding science into the newspaper- and, from there, into people's lives. The science page is now read in the same manner- and by the same broad cross section of the population- as the sports page, or the arts page, or the letters page. I would like to take this opportunity to call upon other Irish newspapers- particularly the regional and local papers- to follow this shining example and to help restore science to its rightful place at the centre of Irish life.

Our challenge now is to spread this message to our children. This is not just a moral imperative- it is an economic necessity. We need to redress the misconception that science is drab and elitist if we are to ensure that our young people become educated and skilled in the disciplines most relevant to their future careers and to Ireland's needs in this area.

Ireland's National Economy has grown rapidly in recent years and that growth has been driven to a considerable degree by increased investment by both business and Government in high technology activities. New industries have grown up out of the IT revolution and Ireland is the European hub for a number of them. The high-tech companies that have come to Ireland want to build a solid, long-term base here. They want to do it by recruiting and developing Irish people. Our job is to ensure that our young people are equipped and ready for that challenge.

This has created a challenge for us all to ensure that the skill needs of Irish industry are addressed. Above all we must convince our youth of the benefits of a career in science and dispel any false prejudices surrounding science- whether that prejudice comes from peer groups, the media or even from parents and families.

Since 1996, our Office of Science and Technology in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, has been running a Science Technology and Innovation Awareness Programme aimed especially at resolving these problems. Not only does this programme allow students make better-informed decisions about which course to take at Third Level, it also contains a range of benefits for the rest of our population. Science is becoming more important in all of our lives whether it be at our workplace, in our homes or in our leisure activities.

I believe that by increasing awareness of the importance and relevance of Science and Technology we will, as a nation also increase our scientific and technological literacy and this too will strengthen our positioning in a rapidly-changing world.

The fact that science is fun and can open the door to well paid jobs and exciting and challenging careers are not the only reasons to be interested in Science and Technology. Many of the major decisions that affect all of our lives involve technical issues and it is important that all of us, young and old, feel comfortable when we are discussing and debating these issues. We want to encourage a better informed public to address developments in science and technology and their implications for us both economically and socially, as a Country, in a modern, global world.

There is an obligation on scientists, technologists and engineers to engage in and in many cases lead the debate and inform us all about the implications involved.

We all ignore developments in science and technology at our peril. They will happen whether we pay attention to them or not. There is an obligation on all of us to seek out information for ourselves and to reach our own conclusions. Dr. William Reville's book is an example for all scientists on how to popularise science without being populist, to simplify major issues without being simplistic. For the rest of us, it is nothing less than a thrilling first step on a lifelong voyage of discovery. I know that Dr. Reville will continue to enthral us all with continuing fascinating essays in the future. I thank and congratulate him and I wish Dr. Reville every success in the years ahead.