Politicians should learn from ‘young scientists’

In the 50th year of the Young Scientist Exhibition, the political and media establishment have little appreciation of what science and technology have achieved. Humanity has been transformed: we live longer, healthier, relatively pain-free lives, with comforts, education, communication, entertainment, travel and countless choices that have enhanced us beyond anything contemplated 50 years ago.

Scientific genius has created a wonderful world, but, perversely, those in governance and administration are turning that success into reason to create one of the worst economic periods in modern history. There appears little ability to deal with economic success; to cope with the reversal of the historic balance of demand always exceeding supply. The need for the human race to work hard has been abolished.

We live in a new world in which everything can be created in great abundance except work. Old economic ideology, which evolved in very different times, is unable to cope with such phenomenal success, but rather than rejoice and adapt to our good fortune, administrations impose austerity, insecurity, despair and misery, instead of finding a way of administering abundance, and creating more employment from less work. If those involved in science and technology showed no greater ability to think new thoughts and innovate new ideology than those in administration, we would still have difficulty perfecting the donkey cart.

Padraic Neary

Tubbercurry

Co Sligo