Public interest 公众对科学的兴趣
One encouraging sign of public interest in science and technology is the expanding market for books dealing with science and technology. 关乎科技的书籍市场越来越广阔，这种鼓舞人心的迹象表明了公众对科技具有浓厚的兴趣。Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time, first published in 1988, has sold over 9 million copies (although how many of them were actually read is a different matter) leading publishers to devote more resources to the sector. 史蒂芬?霍金的《时间简史》自1988年首印以来，已经售出逾900万册（且不论其中有多少人会真正拜读它），出版商也随之对这部分书籍扩大投入。

As with other sections of publishing, much of the output is formulaic, derivative and uninspired, but books about science can both stimulate public debate and foster vocations.其他种类的出版物大多呈现出公式化、派生性和不生动的特征，而科学方面的书既能激发公众进行讨论，又能培养使命感。The OECD plays an important role in promoting a better understanding of what science and technology do and could do, as well as the factors shaping how research is carried out and how that research is then used. 经合组织在推动公众更好的理解科技是干什么的和它还能做什么方面扮演了重要角色，在阐明从事科学研究的主要因素以及这些研究被用于何种领域方面同样发挥了重要作用。Often this is controversial, so objective data, analysis and advice will become even more precious as new knowledge is created, and new possibilities and dangers are debated.这通常会存在争议，而且新知识在不断问世、新的潜在价值与危害性会导致更多的争论，因此客观的数据、分析和报告将变得更加珍贵。

In 1961, the year the OECD was created, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to orbit the Earth. Only eight years later, Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. 1961年，经合组织创立，苏联宇航员尤里?加加林成为环绕地球第一人，仅时隔8年，尼尔?奥尔登?阿姆斯特朗就登上了月球。Astronautics was the most spectacular proof that the pace of change in science and technology had accelerated dramatically, but every area of science and technology seemed to be achieving major breakthroughs. 航天是证明科技步伐加速巨变的最有力的证据，但科技在任何领域似乎都取得了突破性的成就。The genetic code was cracked. The notion of quarks was developed. The world’s first solar power station opened. 比如：遗传密码被破解，夸克概念的提出，世界首个太阳能发电站的出现。Other ideas would have to wait until technology caught up with imagination, for instance Alan Kay’s Dynabook, a portable device to give children access to digital content, 只要科技能跟得上想象，其他的构想也会很快成为现实，例如阿兰?凯的电子书设想，一种让孩子们轻松获得数字化内容的便携式设备。but it was clear that science, technology and intellectual assets in general would play a major role in the economy emerging from post-war reconstruction.但很明显，科技和智能的有利条件总体上会对战后恢复重建的经济产生重要影响。