The last half-century has shown a dramatic increase in the standard of living of millions of people in Europe, North America and many parts of the Third World. This has, in many ways been brought about by scientific and technical developments which were initiated in the 1940s and 1950s. Promises were then made that nuclear energy would provide electricity so cheap that it would not need metering, pesticides would end malnutrition throughout the world and plastics and other synthetic chemicals would revolutionise our manufacturing industry and our way of life. Whilst some of these promises...
The last half-century has shown a dramatic increase in the standard of living of millions of people in Europe, North America and many parts of the Thi...