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OCR for page 115
Technology arid Its Role
in Modem Society
STEPHEN D. BECHTEL, JR.
This volume brings together some of the nanon's leading thinkers
and doers in the fields of economics and technology. Economics and
technology are among the most importa~tforces affec~zrzg Amenca's
industrial leadership. Although it is riot always recognized even by
people who should know, these fields are inseparable in the real
world, and they must be studied jointly if either is to be fully un-
derstood.
Authors and readers of this volume share much in spins, if not in circum-
stance, with our eighteenth-century forefathers. Just as they were, we are
presented by circumstances win the opportunity to reexamine our national
goals and to reorient our future in the face of adverse economic conditions.
And, just as those Revolutionary War patriots were called upon to take a
stand 200 years ago, so modern Americans were summoned by President
Reagan in his 1985 State of the Union address to what he termed the "Second
American Revolution." He spoke optimistically of our opportunities and of
our technological prowess. We must, however, be prepared to seize those
opportunities if we are to capitalize on them. That can be done only from a
position of knowledge and understanding of He interrelationships among all
segments of our society.
Win He objective of making a contribution to such understanding, this
volume brings together some of the nation's leading thinkers and doers in
He fields of economics and technology.
I wish to share an observation on He recently published report, Global
Competition: The New Reality, of He President's Commission on Industrial
Competitiveness (see Young, in this volume). Beyond its assemblage of
essential data and its perceptive analyses, the report's real importance may
115
OCR for page 116
116
STEPHEN D. BECH7EL, JR.
lie in the cogency win which it presents ties between technology and our
economy, between our economy and the international marketplace, and be-
tween the international marketplace and He American work force. We hope
Hat the repon, which addresses one of our naiion's most critical issues, will
be broadly studied and that its recommendations will be implemented. It is
a call to action.
REVIEW OF AMERICA'S TECHNOLOGICAL POSITION
We as a nation have not always fully appreciated our technologists and
their achievements. There seem to be irregular swings in public favor. At
the turn of the century, there was a great outpouring of public interest in and
support for the activities of such people as Thomas Edison and the Wright
brothers. In He 1930s, some of the civil engineering achievements of our
times inspired public interest, awe, and enthusiasm. Hoover Dam, the first
American megaproject, attracted a near-continual stream of tourists to the
Nevada desert long before construction even started. The Golden Gate Bridge
remains one of the best-known symbols of He West, a California Statue of
Liberty.
Dunng the initial post-World War II years, the mid-1940s through He
1950s, the public mood continued on He side of technology. Television was
new. Automobiles were popular. Jet airplanes were flying higher, farmer,
and faster. Those years also spawned He computer revolution, which in turn
allowed the pace of technological advance to quicken and inspired even
greater levels of public interest and support.
But without public support, technology wipers. For example, during its
infancy and years of coming of age, the nuclear power industry was enthu-
siastically supported, eagerly awaited by an overwhelming majority of the
American public. Yet, with the cooling of public sentiment for technology
in the mid-1970s, the nuclear power industry came to a stalemate.
During the decades of the 1960s and 1970s, we saw the rise of an enonnous
public cynicism toward technologists and technology. Industrialists were
characterized as wrong until proven right. Engineers were branded as self-
centered, lacking in concern for their environment, or even for Heir fellow-
man. Civil works~ams and bridges and highways were delayed for years
by petitions and lawsuits. Amenca's manned space program, ushered into
existence with great fanfare and public interest in the 1960s, almost faded
from the skies during the mid-1970s, when the public's fancy turned away.
More recently, however, we have seen signs Hat the public view has turned
around again. Technology seems to be back In favor. Among the indicators is
die rise in He amount of money Hat our society is channeling into research
and development—In 1984 dais amount was $100 billion; in 1985 it Is exempt
to reach 2.7 percent of the GNP, a level not achieved since 1969. The upswing
OCR for page 117
TECHNOLOGY AND ITS ROLE IN MODERN SOCIETY
117
in the public interest and confidence In technology and engineering is heartening.
It is also necessary if our economy is to grow and prosper.
l
ROLE OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
As chainnan of the National Academy of Engineering, ~ have had the
opportunity to witness the close interdependency between the public and the
technical communities. Our Academy itself was founded in 1964 as a result
of the cyclic shift in public attention. For much longer, since 1863, Me
federal government has had available to it an advisory body, the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS), for scientific and technical matters. But by the
middle of the twentieth century, with the RussianlAmencan race to space in
progress, engineering had achieved a stature of special importance.
The National Academy of Engineering was established under the 1863
congressional charter by which the National Academy of Sciences was cre-
ated. NAE was created to advise the Congress and the executive branch on
matters of engineering. In addition, it was given Me following mandate:
1. Further Me interests of engineering education.
2. Expand U.S. participation in international technical exchanges.
3. Conduct or encourage engineering research deemed advisable in the
. .
natlona . Interest.
Recognize outstanding individuals for their engineering contributions
to the nation.
Today, our Academy is composed of more than 1,300 of the nation's most
prominent and eminent engineers. About 55 percent of our membership
comes from industry. The remaining 45 percent comes from academia, gov-
emment, and other organizations. I think it is particularly noteworthy that
more than half (7 of Me 12) of the National Medal of Technology recipients
honored recently by President Reagan are members of our Academy—one
of those so honored was Ralph Landau, a guiding spins behind this volume.
The National Academy of Engineenug has been very successful during its
first two decades of existence. Yet it, like Me rest of the nation, is at a crossroads.
Our organization has mamred: In our twenties, we have "come of age."
As NAE enters its Gird decade, we plan to take an aggressive posture in
exercising our responsibility to advise the government on matters of eng~-
neenug and technology. And just as Me Young Commission (~e Pres~dent's
Com~russ~on on Industrial Competitiveness refened to earlier) has identified
for the nation and the President specific actions Mat must be taken if Me
United States is to prosper into the twenty-first century, so have we at the
Academy of Engineering identified some directions Mat we believe must be
pursued.
OCR for page 118
118
STEPHEN D. BECHTEL, JR.
We share with the Young Commission concern about Amenca's ability
to maintain its technological leadership. We, too, see a shifting in the lineup
of participants in the international marketplace. We, too, want to help Amer-
ica keep its position of economic and technological leadership as the sands
shift abound us.
A major such direction was established on March 13, 1985, when the
National Academy of Engineenng was asked by President Reagan '`to take
the lead and work with the National Academy of Sciences and other technical
organizations, to marshal the nation's technical engineering-based expertise
in a campaign that will ensure Amenca's scientific, technological and en-
gineenng leadership into the 21st Century." He cited the need to "regain
U.S. industrial competitiveness and E-establish our technological leader-
ship."
He noted "two conditions of utmost importance to these efforts:
· "First, we must engage the best minds and experience the county has
to offer, and
· "Second, the private sector must take the lead."
He went on to say that the National Academy of Engineenng's "Decade III
Program will address the broad spectrum of issues essential to industrial
competitiveness and technological leadership."
On behalf of the National Academy of Engineering, I wish to state that
we are not only honored and pleased with He President's request, but we
can hope to meet that challenge only with the help and energetic participation
of all the interests represented in He pages of this volume and with He full
range of scientific, technological, and engineering interests that are not so
represented.
CONCLUSION
The material presented in this volume is intended to elevate public aware-
ness of He mutual needs and contributions binding technology and economic
heady. Indeed, its importance is exceeded only by the need for continuing
dialogue.
The engineering profession is beginning to recognize its responsibility to
speak out, to participate in public policy debates. We have leaIned Hat we
need to communicate the reasoning behind our technological needs if we
hope to achieve public understanding of what needs to be done.
~ hope the understanding achieved through this volume will take root,
flourish, and spread Cough industry, academia, and government. Of course,
it would be unreasonable to hope Hat we can bridge all the gaps that separate
the venous interests in various parts of our country. But the key to accom-
modation of divergent opinions is understanding, and He key to understand-
ing is dialogue.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
technological leadership
