Science, scientists, and Information

Dr. John Ziman says that the general form of the scientific paper has changed less in nearly 300 years than any other class of literature except the bedroom farce. In his book "Public Knowledge," published last year by Cambridge University Press, Dr. Ziman, professor of theoretical physics at University of Bristol, England, presents some thought-provoking views on science and its literature. He considers the goal of science to be "a consensus of rational opinion over the widest possible field." This, he says, is the scientific method. And the journal has been and still is an effective instrument in the process. The consensus approach has served well and effectively through the history of science but now the techniques and instruments for making that approach work have become a matter of great concern. The volume of information is convincing large numbers of scientists and engineers that some new device or system must be evolved—or might come about ...