The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, December 03, 1979, Page page 6, Image 6

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    pago6
monday, december3, 1979
daily nebraskan
Science . . .
Continued from Page 1
"Much of the creative attention of our investigators has
been deflected from science itself to the search for its
funding, he said, a process which has removed the joy
of what they should be doing.
Handler said he saw no sign of an upward trend in the
level of government financing.
"At this time the claim of science does not seem to be
politically urgent, he said.
The terms of the bond between government and uni
versities with regard to funding is "unclear " Handler said.
The government, insisting it is "just buying research ,
takes no responsibility for the continuing welfare of the
university, he said.
"Government has no compunction in threatening to
withhold research funds to secure compliance, to laws and
regulations directed at social goals irrelevant to scientific
research, he said.
AT THE SAME TIME, universities 'ftave become all
but entirely dependent on the federal government for the
support of one of their major functions,' Handler said,
while balking at the "accountability that accompanies such
relations.'
There is a "growing prospect" that this relationship be
tween government and universities will come under scru
tiny.hesaid.
"If universities are to remain the primary locus of re
search new contract will be required between the federal
government and the universities reducing the immense
amounts of red tape and foolish expenditures , he said.
Another result of the "formal marriage" of science and
the government, Handler explained, has been a drop in
America's world contribution to science.
American research is centered in federally fiinded uni
versities while "Germany, France, Japan and East
European countries have powerful, free-standing insti
tutes" for their research, he said.
'While political consolidations in Europe are tattering,
scientific consolidations are continuing apace," he said.
"We are gradually losing touch with the research com
munities of other countries," he said.
HANDLER SAID that each year America devotes in
creasing amounts of money to research while other
nations increase their capabilities.
Another problem faced by science is the role expected
for funds received, Handler said.
"Nowhere is science funded for its purely cultural
value," he said. "As a nation our-research and develop
ment enterprise is locked in a curious dilemma ."
That dilemma, Handler said, is the amount of effort
the United States science devotes to military research and
development compared to that of other countries.
America spends much of its research in the military
while other nations invest little in military research, he
said
"A substantial fraction of our most talented phsyical
engineers and scientists are drawn into defense research
because of its intellectual challenges, opportunities and
relatively generous support," he said. "While their German
and Japanese counterparts, shielded by the American mili
tary umbrella, efficiently design superior consumer pro
ducts for the American market."
ANOTHER PROBLEM scientists must face, Handler
said, is the education of an American public that has
"somewhat lost confidence in the ultimate value of
scientific endeavor.'
"Public disillusionment with revelations of negative
impact has eroded enthusiasm for public support of
science itself," he said. "This loss of credibility began with
the obscenity of nuclear weapons and the means of bio
logical warfare."
Out of a concern that future scientific revelations
could be harmful has "arisen an anti-scientific, anti
rationalistic trend 'that should give us pause," Handler
said.
Beneath these pessimistic public feelings, manifested in
environmental and consumer movements, Handler said,
lies "a sense of anomie, a cry of protest for the sense of
powerlessness of the individual, educated citizen."
Through a return to scientific ethics and efforts to
"unfrock the charlatans," scientists should work to "allay
fears and answer questions," he said.
Zeta Phi Beta promotes unity
among black females at UNL
The establishment of, a black sorority
at UNL has brought black female students
closer together, according to its president..
Karan Williams, a senior business educa
tion and English major, said Zeta Phi Beta
has filled a need by helping black women
get to know each other.
"We're a close knit family," she said.
"We do everything together. It',s a feeling
of knowing you're not alone here." ,
No other Nebraska college campus has
a black sorority, but Omaha has a city one,
Williams said.
Zeta Phi Beta, a national sorority which
also has chapters in Nigeria and Liberia,
was founded in Washington, D.C, in 1920,
The UNL chapter was started this semester
after it and another national black sorority
gave a peresentation to the campus.
The 18 member pledge class, which is
termed the "line" by the sorority, meets in
the Union Monday nights because it has
no house.
But Williams said thai Panhellenic and
the University Program" Council have been
supportive in providing facilities and
materials.
"I look for it to be here forever," she
said.
The sorority will get its charter in
January at the same time the line will be
initiated.
A Christmas Present
from
P
V
On clothes for Guys & Gals during College
Nights Tomorrow Dec. 4th & Wed. Dec. 5th
Just bring your I.D. from 1:00-9:00 P.M.
Fcchicno for Guyo end Gab
Top nemo brenrto olrjayo 25 of?
Mon.-Sat. 10-6
.Thursday 10-9
1229 "R" Street
475-8621
Smokers try, but
No one interviewed quit
By Kathy Stokebrahd
Of the smokers interviewed who par
ticipated in or attempted to participate
in the Great American Smokeout Nov.
15, none quit smoking completely, but
all of them would be willing to partici
pate in the smokeout again.
Judy Converse, 535 South 47th St.,
producer of the morning program for
KLMS radio, said she smoked about a
pack of cigarettes a day before the
the smokeout, Although she was able to
abstain for the entire day she said she
started smoking again thfr next day,
Converse said it was worthwhile to
her to stop smoking for one day. "It
was a personal thing to know I could, I
felt good about myself for doing it," she
said. Smokers have to finally decide for
themselves that they want to quit smok
ing in order to do so, Converse said, and
added she hasn't gotten to that point
yet.
Pat Stanley, 3901 Woods Blvd., a
personnel clerk at the National Bank of
Commerce, said she smoked about a
pack of cigarettes a day bofore the
smokeout and still does. She tried to
abstain for the day, she said, but she lit
up when she got home from work and
was around her husband, a smoker who
didn't participate.
, Although the smokeout didn't affect
her smoking habits at all, she said she
would participate in another one,
Karen Kleman, 5547 South 42nd St.
Court, a salary and benefit administra
tor at the National Bank of Commerce,
said she was able to abstain while at
work but then smoked at home the
evening of the smokeout. She said she
just wanted to see if she could quit for
the day, if not smoking would bother
her, and if she could be around smokers
in her office without smoking herself,
Therefore, she said, she was pleased that
she didn't smoke at work.
The smokeout affected her smoking
' habits though, Kleman said, She used to
smoke a pack of cigarettes a day and
since the smokeout has cut that amount
in half because she "felt better."
Deb Fisher, education training coor
dinator at Bryan Memorial Hospital,
said she was able to abstain the day of
the smokeout until 4 p.m. when she
learned of a family emergency, She said
she is smoking as much now as she was
before the smokeout,
Fisher said she knows she needs to
quit but quitting is not "number one"
on her priority list, The people at Bryan
were supportive of those trying to quit
that day, she said .which helped greatly,
Dale Wojtasek, a senior UNL social
science major and ASUN senator said
didn't participate in the smokeout be
cause he thought it was hypocritical, in
that he would have been saying he
would stop smoking one day and then
start again the next, "Smoking is irra
tional," he said, and added "I don't
know why I do it."
I
photo by Ted Kirk
Tuesday & Wednesday
PABBYUIIflG!!
'Irish Folk; excellent stuff."
$100
TOOT!!
A full-tilt Blue-Monday
Party at the Zoo with
MAGIC SLIM and IM
TEARDROP from Chi
cago and Lincoln's own
HEARTMURMURS.
Music starts at 6:00 and
there's only a $2.00
door charge anytime
between 6 and midnight.
Thursday thru Saturday
Till EU1UIS
. 'Coohn' Blues' "
$150 thursday
$2.00 friday-saturday
NEXT WEEK: Super Blues Week
LUTHER ALUSON Mon thru Wed
& ALBERT COLLINS Thurs thru Sat
138 No. 14th. Lincoln