On March 23rd there was a Seminar on "Openness and Secrecy in Science" jointly sponsored by the AAAS and the Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (CSEP) and moderated by Dr. Vivian Weil, Senior Research Associate at the Center. The morning session was focussed on the history within science of valuing secrecy as against openness and vice-versa; the afternoon was oriented to First Amendment issues emerging out of governmentally enforced secrecy. For details concerning the seminar, contact either Dr. Weil or Rosemary Chalk of the Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility of the AAAS.

The subjects discussed at this seminar were important and the comments and discussion illuminating. Readers of this issue of PERSPECTIVES will find a range of reflections on the topic, ranging from Pythagorean guardedness about the incommensurability of the diagonal of a square with its sides, to some reassuring data about on-going United States-Soviet relations and exchanges. One additional preliminary observation should be mentioned: commenting on an argument by one of the morning's speakers to the effect that one should examine whether or not secrecy was good for science, the philosopher Arthur Fine observed that when one constructs essentially functionalist arguments (or inquiries) it is wise to bear in mind that there may be other "entities" with whose survival and progress we may properly concern ourselves and that, unlike the celebrated remark about General Motors, what is "good for" science may not be good for the country, let alone good "simpliciter."

Planned upcoming issues of PERSPECTIVES include another one about architects, a "reply" in effect to the last issue, an issue about socializing into the major professions, an issue focussed on some layers of the problems emerging out of medical (or bio-) engineering and an issue concerned with toxic waste disposal. The titles and availabilities of past issues may be obtained by writing to the Editor, and as always your comments and questions are encouraged.