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.

Economic Progress in Less-Developed Countries Tuesday 7 December 1993 This essay considers why some countries - including South Korea, Taiwan and Chile - managed to escape from low incomes during the past four decades, while others sank deeper into poverty. The crucial factor appears to be their own actions and policies that determine how much they benefit from technologies produced by developed countries. Countries that succeed in getting out of the poverty trap usually invest considerably in education, training and health. Elementary and high school education are especially important for nations trying to start along the development path since literacy and basic skills are crucial in raising the productivity of the labor force. Sending students abroad for post-graduate studies in science and other fields may be the best way for less developed nations to keep abreast of the latest developments in different subjects. All cultures contain many persons with commercial and business initiative. But it is necessary to have an environment where business spirit can thrive. Private and public enterprises have to be allowed to compete without excessive regulations, bureaucracy, and government control. And less developed nations do better when companies and consumers have the freedom to import and export goods and capital. The evidence of the past several decades strongly indicates that all countries can escape from poverty and join the club of newly industrialized nations. Whether they do succeed depends much more on what they do to help themselves than on what the developed countries do for them. 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).