NEARLY 20 years ago the American Association for the Advancement of Science published a book called Science for All Americans to address what it recognised as a pressing need for greater scientific literacy in the general population. Better awareness of scientific ideas and ways of thinking was required, it said, to help people understand how science and technology are shaping our world. Without that understanding, ordinary citizens would be less able to take part in decisions about such challenges as climate change and the ethics of new medical advances.
The urgency felt by the AAAS two decades ago was prompted…
