In many fields of science, there is little doubt that the period 1830–1965 was a golden age. There is also little doubt that changes in the support structure for science since the late 60s have powerful unintended consequences that serve to inhibit major developments. Richard Lindzen will discuss these changes from the personal perspective of a climate scientist and place them in the historical perspective of other areas of study.

Specifically, Lindzen will explore how the symbiotic relationship between support for climate science and support for climate policy has been powered by the political process. Has this happened before at the technical-policy interface for other issues in other nations? Are we witnessing the rise of yet another instance of “public policy [becoming] a captive of a scientific-technological elite,” as predicted by President Eisenhower in his 1961 farewell address?