WORLD SOCIAL SUMMIT 2008
'WSS: Boncinelli, fear of science, the worse recipe'

"Science scares because it consists in something new, and what is new generates fear like all animals, except when they are puppies" said Edoardo Boncinelli in his speech at the World Social Summit held in Rome until tomorrow. And "compared to other animals, man fears novelties less because he stays "puppy" until 30 years of age".

But we must inform ourselves in order to discover that "fear is the worse recipe and not a great investment". "What science did and promises to do again - says Boncinelli - is to eliminate injustices and differences. For example, it eliminates the injustices for who is born ill and weak".

Science is many things at the same time, said Boncinelli. First of all, "science is not definite, but is reliable and a source of practical applications" because "man is not happy about knowing, but he also wants to take action". The results of science can be seen by everybody: "In the past, who was born short-sighted was considered handicapped, but not today". "Science is also an integral part of the cultural progress, but Italy is not the right country" Boncinelli says with an ironic tone: "when we talk about culture in our country, we are talking about everything but science". Second: science "is the forma mentis that helps to inform the critical attitude, to judge and being judged".

Science generates fears compared to the past, when "there is hope to solve problems linked to health, transport, and stocking up". Today "fear is no longer balanced by the expectation of a considerable improvement". After all "we are doing well enough not to wish to be better, despite man is impossible to satisfy". The promises made in the 1700 and 1800, consisting in more "happiness and wisdom", generated fear. But "science cannot make us happy - says Boncinelli - and did not make us wiser". The result is that "promises were broken and when this was understood a sense of disappointment arose".

But science produced tangible things, reminds Boncinelli. In human sciences "man has always asked himself what is the price of life". And "man always asked himself what is so special about human beings" says Boncinelli. "Today we know that" and reminds: "the secret of life is simple: instructions for use are present in each of our cells". Boncinelli explains the path of scientific research: "there is a large text "genoma" that constantly says: "do this and don't do it, etc" involving conditions to develop, live and reproduce". Man, still reminds the scientist "puts a project into practice: it is the only species that knows exactly the details of our genetic heritage". And we are just at the beginning, says Boncinelli. "What our cells carry with them, read, and transmit is nothing but a text that was only partially read, because there are still things that we do not know how to read". The part of our genetic heritage of which we are certain "is only 3%, the rest still has to tell us everything".

"There is still a lot to study" says Boncinelli and "stirring up fear is often an instrument of social control".