comment Physics for a better world The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals outline a roadmap towards a more equitable future for humanity. Along with other scientists, physicists have long made valuable contributions to this endeavour. Joseph J. Niemela

he COVID-19 pandemic has become a feature of the daily Tnews. Unfortunately, this is taking place against a backdrop of continuing deterioration of the public’s trust in the evidence-based scientific process. This is another challenge that we must all face by engaging with the wider community (see trust-science.org) and by highlighting the key role science plays in bettering human welfare. Indeed, physics has long been instrumental in responding to critical societal challenges and improving the quality of life worldwide. As we move towards an international year devoted to basic sciences for sustainable development (see www.iybssd2022.org), we can celebrate by reflecting on some of these achievements. For the purpose of discussion, it may help to roughly divide the members of our global communities — physicists and non-physicists alike — into those residing in a country characterized by the World Bank as having a high average income and Fig. 1 | Undergraduates at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad coming to grips with light. those living in low- and middle-income Credit: J. Niemela. countries (LMICs), historically referred to as developing countries. Of course, this cataloguing is much too coarse-grained to lack of resources at an earlier stage. They entrepreneurial innovation, it can help reflect socioeconomic realities, but there often use well-designed enquiry-based address — in sustainable and ethical ways — are advantages here to keeping it simple kits, for instance, those developed by pressing societal challenges in all countries, and binary. professional societies, to help bright young such as access to clean water, affordable and At the outset, I would like to remark students in LMICs express their scientific clean energy, food security or health. that there is a lot of fantastic work by curiosity and keep them motivated for These efforts can be calibrated against dedicated and motivated physicists in further studies (Fig. 1). the UN Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable many institutions around the world that One institution dedicated to the Development Goals1, which helps to answer comes under the deceptively simple development of physicists in a truly global the question posed above. Of course, basic description ‘physics for development’, which sense is the Abdus Salam International or ‘pure’ physics has a position on the immediately begs the question: development Centre for Theoretical Physics, a United assembly line for building our technological of what? Nations Educational, Scientific and base — including providing the context But first, let us take a brief look at Cultural Organization (UNESCO) centre in which innovative applications can what many of our colleagues do, and what in Trieste. But there are, of course, many actually be conceived and implemented is better described by the permutation other institutions and programmes, both in the first place. However, it also has an ‘development for physics’ or more precisely large and small, contributing to regional intangible benefit in satisfying our natural ‘for physicists.’ They often run or participate development, some of which were originally and evolutionary instincts for exploration, in programmes aimed at strengthening formed under the auspices of UNESCO, discovery and understanding. Unfortunately, science in LMICs by supporting individuals such as CERN and SESAME. following the news may lead one to believe who have an abundance of talent and Let us now return to the question of what that our natural instincts are generally more aptitude but are held back by their poor ‘physics for development’ is striving for. in tune with ignorance and intolerance, two working conditions. The goal is to reduce Applications for the benefit of society spring traits that have made conquering each other as much as possible the scientific isolation to mind. The current pace of technology seem more of a priority for humanity than that impedes careers, and to encourage development, derived downstream from conquering the unknown. and facilitate effective collaborations. fundamental breakthroughs in physics, Indeed, it was in response to the Educational outreach activities address a seems ever more rapid. Combined with unimaginable devastation of the Second

Nature Physics | VOL 17 | August 2021 | 871–872 | www.nature.com/naturephysics 871 comment

World War that UNESCO was born. It is one to the Sustainable Development Goals, connections globally in ways Julian Huxley of several UN agencies that have physical including hunger (with the FAO), health perhaps could not have imagined. sciences in their mandates, including the and energy. Clean and sustainable energy What links all these examples together is Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), has also benefitted from the continued the fact that physicists have either directly the World Health Organization (WHO) development of the photovoltaic cell as well or indirectly contributed to the general and the International Atomic Energy as progress in energy storage. welfare of humanity, helping to build Agency (IAEA), but perhaps the only one Energy consumption due to lighting stronger scientific ecosystems, driving that naturally includes all of physics. Julian has been radically reduced owing to the technological innovation needed to Huxley, UNESCO’s first director-general, the invention of the blue light-emitting effectively address regional challenges. They observed that it fosters and promotes “all diode (LED), for which the Nobel Prize have also brought to life major institutions aspects of education, science, and culture, was awarded in 2014 to Isamu Akasaki, that are international by design, and where in the widest sense of those words”2. Its Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura. important and inspirational discoveries in constitution, penned by the American poet For a community completely off the basic physics are being made today. Archibald MacLeish, extraordinarily begins electricity grid, LEDs can help to end the The ‘S’ very nearly didn’t make it “That since wars begin in the minds of men, use of unhealthy kerosene lamps, while into UNESCO, but for the persuasive it is in the minds of men that the defences not overtaxing portable power systems as and heroic efforts of Joseph Needham, a of peace must be constructed,” supported the filament bulb did, enabling children British biochemist, who understood that in that task by the “unrestricted pursuit of and adults to safely read after dark. In the nationalities of scientists are irrelevant objective truth, and in the free exchange of high-income countries, where people to their productive collaboration. He ideas and knowledge”3. unnaturally spend much of their time emphasized in 1943 that “science and Communication tools provided by indoors, the same digital lighting can be technology are now playing, and will the technologies that spring from basic tuned to help improve productivity and increasingly play, so predominant a part research are essential to these ambitious well-being by mimicking the diurnally in all human civilization, that some means goals. However, Huxley’s brother, Aldous, varying spectrum of the Sun. whereby science can effectually transcend pointed out the potential dangers to Tunable LED systems can address national boundaries is urgently necessary”5. democracy through misinformation and hunger by improving plant yield in Physicists, acting as Needham would have propaganda. This was back in 1946, and indoor production sites, which are predicted, have clearly shown by example the he was mostly concerned about the augmenting traditional farming to progress that can be made through peaceful influence of the radio4: “What Mark feed an ever-increasing population. and constructive international cooperation Antony could do to the mob assembled Food production can also profit from and shared experience. In Huxley’s own round Caesar’s corpse, his modern remote-sensing and imaging of crops, words: “practical demonstration is the best counterpart can do to entire nations. and spectroscopic devices can be used to form of education.” ❐ Never have so many been so much at the measure oxygen content in packaged food, mercy of so few.” This problem still rings indicating whether its shelf life has expired. Joseph J. Niemela ✉ true today, changed only in details, and it Solar-powered desalination stations can Te International Centre for Teoretical Physics, runs counter to the principles of human help produce drinkable water in many Trieste, Italy. dignity and mutual respect embedded parts of the world, and ultraviolet LEDs ✉e-mail: [email protected] into UNESCO’s constitution. Even in can help clean it. this respect alone, it is unfortunate that We can also find physics in the healthcare Published online: 22 July 2021 the United States, a founding member of applications that have recently preoccupied https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-021-01311-2 UNESCO, which gave Archibald MacLeish our minds. Anyone using the London to the world, today remains outside the underground lately will have noticed that References membership of that organization. ultraviolet radiation is being used to sterilize 1. Te Sustainable Development Agenda. United Nations https://www. un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/ (2015). Since UNESCO was founded over the escalator handrails. Photodynamic 2. Huxley, J. UNESCO, its Purpose and its Philosophy (UNESCO, 75 years ago, the world has become ever therapy, using lasers, is being employed in 1946); https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000068197/ smaller and better connected. Sustainable many regions of the world to treat certain PDF/068197engo.pdf.multi 3. UNESCO Constitution. UNESCO http://portal.unesco.org/ development has been redefined in a holistic types of cancer, and portable point-of care en/ev.php-URL_ID=15244&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_ way within the UN Agenda 2030 and the devices, lab-on-chip platforms and remote SECTION=201.html (1945). importance of physics for development is patient monitoring are helping to improve 4. Huxley, A. Science, Liberty and Peace (Harper & Brothers, 1946). 5. Putting the ‘S’ in UNESCO. Te UNESCO Courier 21–22 clear. The motto for the IAEA, in fact, has the health of many people in LMICs who are (October, 1985); https://go.nature.com/3wDu48E changed from “atoms for peace” to “atoms far away from hospitals. for peace and development,” emphasizing And, of course, there are the optical Competing interests peaceful uses of nuclear technologies applied fibres powering the Internet, increasing our The author declares no competing interests.

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