Science evolves constantly, but the public lags behind
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EL PASO – The rapid evolution of technology and the changing nature of science has emphasized the conflicts between the goals of science and the perceptions and prejudices of the public. “We are living in the best of scientific times,” Dr. Alan Leshner, chief executive officer of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) told an audience recently at the University of Texas at El Paso. Leshner said that despite the incredible technological development of modern times, the public has become less accepting of it. “So the science is great but there is a fair amount of tension that is brewing and that’s what I’m most concerned about,” he said. “Advances in science are coming at a fantastic pace,” he said.