5-6 June "The fiendlike skill we display in the invention of all manner of death-dealing engines, the vindictiveness with which we carry on wars, and the misery and desolation that follow in their train, are enough in themselves to distinguish the white civilized man as the most ferocious animal on the face of the earth". A century and a half after Herman Melville wrote these words in Typee, further instruments of doom are being added to the white civilized man’s burden, many of which are commonly related to scientific and technological breakthroughs. Misfortune tellers are having a field day predicting the worst-ever millennium and exploiting the threats posed by the swift change we now experience. There are, however, rational ways of apprehending the future and its dangers, of mapping the patterns elicited from past history and today’s trends, as well as the emergence of new opportunities. Rationality alone is not enough to allay fin de millénaire gloom, but it helps. The ten Nobel Laureates and the international experts invited in Milan are asked to act as "mankind’s civil servants" - as Husserl, who was one of them, said - and to reflect upon what lies ahead.

From Bench to Bedside: A Circuitous Road Friday 5 December 1997 All knowledge is basic, whether derived at the bedside or the bench. Some individuals imply erroneously that "pure" research is nobler, and more intellectual and difficult than "applied" research. A statement by Pasteur denies this conception: "No category of science exists to which one could give the name of applied science. Science and the application of science are linked to gether as a fruit is to the tree that has borne it". Accepting Pasteurıs holistic view, the bioscientist, whether surgeon or internist, has a major advantage over the scientist confined to the laboratory. We in clinical practice regularly face interesting fundamental problems never observed by basic scientists. Clinical situations stimulate laboratory projects. Above all, surgeons can be bridge-tenders for information travelling from the laboratory to the "living". We surgeons should enlist basic scientists in the work we are doing so that they may participate with pleasure and interest. This sometimes involves taking them on rounds or including them in the decision-making. The bridge carries still another obligation, namely to see that laboratory findings are applied in an ethical and humane way. Conceptually, the surgeon and bench scientist differ in three ways: The scientist knows that he doesnıt know, whereas the surgeon is expected to know. The scientist can wait for all the data to become available, whereas the surgeon must make a decision on the available data. The scientist deals with mass data, whereas the surgeon deals with an individual patient. Acknowledging these differences, is it possible for a surgeon, or any clinician, to be a scientist? The answer of course is yes. It is a difficult role to assume, but nevertheless it is absolutely essential for our patientıs welfare that dedicated physicians and surgeons understand and work with scientists of other disciplines. We surgeons have a rich past and a bright future for scientific careers. Roll up your sleeves and explore the marvelous roadways ahead of you. All that you need are "curiosity, drive and persistence".