The core of this volume is a report from a symposium held at the University of Goteborg in the Fall of 1991. It deals with the interplay of science and politics and how DEGREES such interplay affects research agendas. The focus is on polar research in Antarctica, a continent that has been much in the news during the past couple of years. It gives me particular pleasure to thank all the speakers who took part in the program. All of them have many commitments and involvements in international polar research and the protection of Antarctica for its scientific and aesthetic values. The fact that...