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.

The Intrinsic Value of Science: Regulation but not Repudiation Wednesday 8 December 1993 It is part of man's nature to search for a scapegoat to blame for his troubles. In periods of crisis, this desire is intensified and we see the emergence of crusades against witches, against plague-spreaders, against defenseless minorities. Today, an abstract entity faces trial: it is Science which is being held responsible for all of man's difficulties. Before this new crusade assumes greater proportions which threaten to cast us into a new obscurantism - an event much worse than the ills which afflict us - there is an urgent need to analyze the accusations and consider possible remedies. First of all, it is worth noting that no distinct boundaries separate the various activities of the human brain, from that of thought processes which manifest themselves in the elaboration of philosophical systems to those which unfold in the areas of Science or art. A case against Science becomes, therefore, a case against Homo sapiens and his intellectual activity, the only factor which distinguishes him from the other animal species. If we hold to this premise, and refuse to accuse our patrimony of oriental, hellenistic and humanistic cultures (and, of course, Science which is derived from these), we must concentrate on a more serene evaluation of the responsibilities of Science in the face of the current, critical state of modern civilization. The freedom to revise premises and the negation of laws which no longer adhere to the "new consciousness" are the foundation of scientific ethics - a foundation which is strengthened by this continuous process of self-criticism. The happiest moments of occidental civilization, observes Bronowski, were those which sustained the right of dissent, resulting, in the social sphere, in documents such as declarations of independence by the previously submissive populations and, in the scientific area, in a courageous challenge against universally accepted laws by persons such as Galileo, Copernicus, Newton, Darwin and Einstein. These men of Science overturned seemingly immutable systems and opened the way to progress. Recent advances in the field of biology and particularly in the area of genetic engineering, publicized through poorly informed mass media, have aroused fear and worry in the community at large. Although in the majority of cases these fears are based on incorrect information, one must recognize the fact that today man has acquired unprecedented powers over all living species, including his own. Highly competent scientific, philosophical and religious commissions have therefore been formed which, while respecting the freedom of scientific research, regulate the methods of application of these discoveries, according to the principle that not all that science is capable of doing should be done. 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).