Science movements must be in alliance with larger social change movements: Prabir Purkayastha

Science and technology movements like free software movements must be in alliance with the larger social change movements in order to really bring about true social change, said journalist and author Prabir Purkayastha.

He was speaking at a discussion on his book Knowledge as Commons-Towards Inclusive Science and Technology in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Mr. Purkayastha, who is also the founder of NewsClick, said that a lot of things about science and technology which we learn from textbook, is not how real science and technology advances take place.

“A lot of things about science and technology which we learn from the textbook is not how real science and technology advances take place, and I think it is important for people in this audience to really understand that what we say the way science and technology develops in a normative sense… it is true but there are a lot of edge cases where real development takes place,” he said.

He said that a small advancement in technology can lead to major advances in science and the major advances in science can have very little technological implications.

“Major advances in physics, science have no major impact on technology and major technological advances have very little scientific advances, but it is also true small science developments have enormous impact on technology and small technology developments have enormous impact on science,” he said.

He further added that the relationship between advancements in science and technology is not one-to-one.

“So, the relationship between the two is not one-to-one but it is also true that science is a necessary condition for development of technology just as much technology is a necessary condition for developing science, because any major scientific advance today needs huge investment in technology,” he added.