Credit: IOP Publishing
IOP Publishing is proud to announce the release of ‘Big Science in the 21st Century’, a comprehensive exploration of the impact of Big Science on our society and the new perspectives it opens on evaluating its societal benefits.
Authored by a diverse group of contributors, the book offers a multifaceted view of the challenges, merits, and transformations of Big Science across different disciplines and geographical boundaries. It delves into the transformative role of Big Science in shaping the world we live in, from its historical roots in the aftermath of the Second World War to its contemporary interdisciplinary and international nature.
Big Science in the 21st Century is organized in five parts, each offering unique insights into the impact of Big Science. The first part looks at lessons from Big Science organizations and best practices in increasing the return of benefits to society. The second part offers the voice of key economists who have worked on assessment exercises concerning the socioeconomic benefits of large-scale research infrastructures. The editors also strived to include a historical perspective on these debates. Essays, in part three, trace the development of Big Science in the aftermath of World War II. Importantly, the editors also focus on the educational and cultural impacts that Big Science has beyond the laboratory; from the art gallery to the school classroom. In the last part, the editors aimed to bring a more global perspective with contributions from other continents outside North America and Western Europe.
As noted in the preface: “Rather than an exhaustive list, this book aspires to offer a comprehensive overview of the different ways in which Big Science impacts our society and consequently opens new perspectives in thinking how to evaluate its societal benefits. It should offer a glimpse on the complex realities that characterize the development and present status of Big Science.”
Panagiotis Charitos, one of the editors of Big Science in the 21st Century says: “The culmination of massive investment and intense international collaboration, ‘Big Science’ projects sit at the forefront of today’s scientific innovations. They reach beyond disciplinary boundaries to deliver global visibility, recognition, and impact for researchers.”
Charitos continues: “The different viewpoints in this book demonstrate the ways in which Big Science has delivered intellectual, utilitarian, and economic progress. It serves as a reminder that Big Science, along its many coordinates, should be evaluated for its scientific, economic, educational, and cultural impact. The essays also stress that this path is not always linear while also giving voice to concerns around “Big Science” projects and the distribution of resources.”
Miriam Maus, Chief Publishing Officer at IOP Publishing, says: “’Big Science’ projects span many issues, from combatting social imbalance to building the Large Hadron Collider. We are proud to publish a book that explores the depth and breadth of Big Science projects with perspectives from a wide variety of contributors across the globe.”
The full book is available on the IOP Publishing Bookstore and is aimed at professionals involved in science policy and administration, economists interested in evaluating the results of scientific research, and anyone with an interest in scientific outreach and communication. The collection of essays is targeted to stimulate interdisciplinary discussions, with the hope of yielding new research tools for measuring the impact of Big Science and creating connections between economists, historians, and those working in science and technology studies.
Five chapters of the book are available to read for free, covering topics including the development of CERN, the rise of ‘Big Science,’ its societal impacts in the 21st century, communicating Big Science in a post-war period, and the transition to an open science model.
