Futures of ELSA

In his Editorial, and building on Peter Stegmaier’s idea of convergence research (Stegmaier 2009), Frank Gannon offered a good diagnosis: “Politics is also pinning its hopes on convergence work as a means to reconcile front-line research with public opinion and societal expectations. A new crop of ‘convergence workers’ now organize joint meetings and debates between various stakeholders with the ultimate aim to allay public fears about research while making scientists more aware of society’s expectations and reservations” (Gannon, 2009). Whether or not the hopes of politicians and spokespersons for science are realistic, this new crop of ‘convergence workers’ is certainly active, as the articles in the Science & Society Series on Convergence Research testify. “[P]hilosophers, ethicists and social scientists also join large research projects in the life sciences to provide the link between science and society, to advise and discuss with the researchers or to organize and engage in public outreach programmes.” Gannon added “In doing so, these researchers are creating a new research field and new job opportunities at the interface between the life sciences and the social sciences as well as the humanities.”