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Up: The General Context
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There are problems very much in the
public consciousness about which science can do little, at least
in the near term. These include:
- urban blight and youth violence;
- Bosnia, Haiti, Somalia, Rwanda, human rights in China,
and some new ones tomorrow;
- drug abuse and related problems, e.g. crime,
crack babies;
- provision of more accessible health care; and
- racism, bigotry, and the breakdown of family
and community [Schlesinger, 1993; Kaplan, 1994].
Science is unable to help because the problems lie outside
science and involve values, history, emotions.
U.S. National Report to IUGG, 1991-1994
Rev. Geophys. Vol. 33
Suppl., © 1995 American Geophysical Union