Why Science Needs Us to be Afraid. From Cringely, quoting a letter from Australian engineer scientist Richard Worsley. [Quote] … I’ve done my time in the trenches …. therefore feel able to comment on the lot of the scientist today….. science is not separate from society …. what you are seeing is a symptom …. of a broad social trend to globalization, market driven, efficient use of resources …. to such an extent that there is no intellectual freedom any more … without that, creativity is dying …. scientists spend more time justifying their work ….. science has always worked on the fact that we don’t know the answer …. we ask the question without having the answer ….. try getting that concept up when you have to justify continued expenditure ….. best scientists I know are all crazy …. you have to be ‘on the edge’ or unstable …. like the best fighter planes. [Unquote] The classic Catch-22 of having to rationalise the irrational. Tell me about it. A good documented example.