Seeing further: the story of science & the Royal Society — 13 PHILIP BALL

1. 1. Francis Bacon's vision of science, as outlined in The New Atlantis, aimed at 'the effecting of all things possible' through a blend of understanding and practical application.
2. 2. C.P. Snow and Peter Medawar criticized the cultural divide between pure and applied science, with Medawar noting a 'self-righteous disengagement' from practical use in English science.
3. 3. Metallurgy, one of the oldest applied sciences, was historically considered a degrading profession, but advances like the Bessemer process transformed steelmaking into a scientific endeavor.
4. 4. Plastics evolved from cheap imitations of luxury materials to symbols of disposability and environmental hazard, reflecting shifting public attitudes toward synthetic materials.
5. 5. Synthetic biology and genetic engineering extend Bacon's vision of remaking life, raising profound questions about what is natural and the ethics of creating new organisms.
6. 6. The distinction between pure and applied science is artificial; most technology arises from deliberate development, not serendipitous spin-offs from pure research.