Two Estranged Cultures

Abstract

In 1959, the British scientist C. P. Snow gave the prestigious Rede lecture with the thesis of a breakdown of communication between the "two cultures" of modern society- the sciences and the humanities-which was a major hindrance to solving the world's problems (Wikipedia). In the 21st century, a more serious breakdown has occurred between the two cultures of politicians and scientists, especially concerning the five critical, global problems:(1) climate, (2) acidification of the oceans, (3) overpopulaition, (4) ecological overshoot, (5) damage, possiblu irreversible, to the biospheric life support system. All these global problems require a holistic approach and will only be solved by exemplary collaboration among the world's nations, using a "top-down" global-system perspective. Special interest views are importatnt, but should not dominate. However, in the United States, and most other countries, special interest groups and lobbyists do dominate. The global system, Earth, has no well financed, politically powerful lobby. The result is that two, global, ecological tipping points have been passed and the damage is irresversible in timeframes of interest to humans. Can this alienation between scientists and politicians be resolved? It must be quickly resolved if civilization is to be saved.