Science is the art of answering new questions, but more and more often is facing problems which are the product of its own success. First among these is the problem posed by the relationship between scientific research and economic growth, generated by the changing equilibrium among the developed countries and the growing gap between the North and South of the planet, by a new conception of health and the quality of life and by the questions that technological progress poses for the future of human race and the environment. Scientific progress has always deeply modified social organisation and individual liife style and attitude, often indipendently from a public awareness of these transformations. Today, the relationship between science and economics is stronger than ever, and the pace of discoveries and their application is more and more rapid. Communicating to the public the potential and the limits of research is therefore indispensable to create a good relationship between science and society, between decision-makers and the citizen. Ten Nobel Laureates are invited to turn their attention to the major issues that have emerged from the redefinition of our conceptions of humanity, nature and society in the wake of scientific progress. Their lectures are divided into five sessions.

Responsibility of Scientists on a Finite Globe Wednesday 8 December 1993 This century has seen remarkable progress in the physical and biological sciences. In general, the discoverers could not foresee the social consequences of their new insights; this is a general feature of basic research. The human existence has been markedly changed by these scientific advances and their technical applications, both for the better and for the worse. The coming century inherits from us a number of formidable global problems which are in large part the consequences of this technological progress. To name some: population growth, the rapid exploitation of limited natural resources, ecological changes threatening the climate, an economic system which is prisoner to the need for growth, and nuclear weapons. These problems will not be resolved by technological fixes. The main responsibility of the scientist is to inform the society honestly (a pity that this needs to be said) on the technical aspects of the problems and their possible solutions, but the responsibility for the decisions, and the will to confront these problems before they become even more threatening, must be with the society as a whole and the governments. I hope to add some comments on the questions of nuclear weapons and energy. The resulting essay has been translated into Italian and published in the book Scienza, economia, etica per il prossimo secolo. Dieci Nobel per il futuro. (Marsilio, Venezia 1994).