The Science Matrix:

In these essays, Professor Seitz, President Emeritus of Rockefeller University, investigates the role of science and technology in modern society; its origins in ancient Greece and Rome; the remarkable consolidation in the Islamic world; the expansion of the center of scientific activity from Western Europe to North America and, most recently, to Japan; and the role science and technology play in shaping each other. In addition, he discusses how our perceptions affect the understanding of science; the relationship between "big science" and "little science"; and the role science and technology can play in alleviating environmental concerns, particularly with respect to nuclear science.