Boston Scientists' Meeting to Hear Student Criticism

A group of Harvard and M.I.T. students has planned a symposium entitled "The Sorry State of Science-A Student Critique" for next week's meeting of the country's largest scientific organization.

Some 10,000 scientists and students are expected to attend the Boston meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science to be held December 26-31.

"Students have attended the meetings before, but as far as I know, they have not given a paper, presented a symposium or run a session," said Allen S. Weinrub, a graduate student in the Division of Engineering and Applied Physics and one of the symposium's organizers.

Corporation Science

The discussion will revolve around the thesis that "science serves the ruling class and corporate enterprises, not the people," he said. "It is the technological needs that by and large determine the type of science that is funded, and the control of technology lies with corporate interests," he added.

Individual speakers will examine the drug industry, computer technology, and social science research to develop the theme and offer some remedies.

"Everybody is really upset that science is misused," Weinrub said yesterday. "They see huge stockpiles of modern outmoded weapons. They find poison in their food. They are afraid to eat anything-afraid to go outside and take a deep breath,"

"Science has not helped to solve social problems and may actually have made them worse," he added.

Other Harvard Speakers

The other Harvard speakers include David J. Jhirad, instructor in Astronomy. Donald E. MacKenzie, a Social Relations graduate student, Richard J. Paul, a graduate student at the Medical School, and Mark S. Tuttle, a graduate student in the Division of Engineering and Applied Physics.

More than 65 Harvard faculty members will also deliver papers or participate in other symposia at the meeting. The topics range from social questions such as "science and the Future of Man" in which George Wald, Higgins Professor of Biology, and Lewis Mumfond will participate, to discussions of current research papers on hormones, space astronomy, child rearing, and mitosis.

Margaret Mead, Kingman Brewster, and Thomas O, Paine, NASA Administrator, will also deliver special lectures.

The Place:

The convention will be held in the War Memorial Auditorium and several downtown hotels. Most of the large lectures are free. A $5 registration fee is required for the scientific symposia.

The Fogg Art Museum opened an exhibit yesterday on "Early Science at Harvard-Innovators and Their Instruments" to coincide with the A.A.A.S. convention.