Nobel Laureate Predicts the Future, and What Science Can Do About It

Science is not just the strategical use of hypothesis, conclusions, theories, numbers, experimentation and all sort of things that most students who didn’t received a decent grade in Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Chemistry, would consider irrelevant and boring in their would-be careers. Science is one of the many ways that would help humanity in solving the future problems looming in the current society overpowered by consumption and greed.

This is what Nobel Laureate awardees for Physics David Gross proved to the thousand of students and faculty of the University of the Philippines as he spoke in UP Film Centre as part of his visit in the Philippines for Bridges – Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace, a series of discussion initiated and facilitated by Vienna-based International Peace Foundation under the mutual patronage of 21 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.

“Science can and must help,” said Gross addressing the problems of nuclear weapons, overpopulation, global energy consumption, the declining health of the planet and the impact of global warming, which in one way or another is also caused by scientific and technological advancements. “But more than science is needed.”

Bridges started in Thailand in November 2003 with the 250 events. The successful initial series lead to invitations from other ASEAN countries. Last year, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo officially launched Bridges in the Philippines, with approximately 50 events to be held from November 2007 to April 2008 simultaneously in the Philippines and Thailand. Geared towards the advancement of peace, freedom and security in the ASEAN region through the involvement of the youth, Bridges capitalize on the role of science, technology and education as tools for this goal. The participation of the Nobel Laureates is expected to forge alliances with local universities and institutions, expected to yield more collaborations and common research programs. In the country, Bridges is chaired by Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman and CEO of Ayala Corporation and Washington SyCip, Founding chairman of SGV Group and Asian Institute of Management.

Professor Gross is one among the 7 Nobel Laureates who are invited to come to the Philippines to discuss about “the coming revolution of fundamental physics”. The 66-year old Director of Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics of the University of California, is awarded the Nobel Laureate for Physics in 2004 with his discovery of asymptotic freedom along with Frank Wilczek and David Politzer. According to his theory, the closer quarks are to each other, the less the strong interaction between them; when quarks are in extreme proximity, the nuclear force between them is so weak that they behave almost as free particles.

In his speech, Professor Gross gave predictions of what the world will become after 100 t0 1000 years. He said that from 50-100 years, most questions will be answered but more will emerged, as we are on our way towards a sustainable economics and social arrangement and a world government. Gross believes that having seperate government systems in every part of the globe will not persist and internationalism is the way to put the world in better order. He argued that basic science is truly an international endeavour and internationalism is a model of cooperation, collaboration and competition.

Meanwhile, in a thousand years, Gross said that there will be an increase in the life span as science will discover more ways to prolong human’s existence in this world, though this will have a profound impact on the society, environment and culture, since also means an increase in population. Gross put a very strong emphasis on the problem of pollution across the globe and its grave threat on the future of mankind, if we still have a future to look forward to because pollution’s ultimate damge will be the extinction of mankind. Extreme heat, climate change, flooding and famine are just some of the effects of pollution, phenomena that are already being felt all over the world. Overconsumption, he said is the main cause of pollution and suggests that the developed countries should think about stopping consumption.

“We must build an economic system and political system that is not dependent on unlimited consumption and growth.”

In addition to the increase in life span, Gross also predicted that new biological species will arise and that nature will reveal more of its secrets.

“Science will be more important in the tomorrow’s world. It will help us increase the good and avoid the bad.”

Bridges will also feature Nobel Laureates in Economics, Peace, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and the former World Bank President James Wolfensohn. Bridge’s forums are open to public. For more information on their schedule, visit their website.