Many people now believe that science is the religion of the 20th century – that its authority is beyond question or challenge, and that its rules and findings can indisputably explain the past and predict the future of human existence, as well as individual behaviours. This study takes a close and informed look at the packaging of science as the panacea to global problems, demonstrating how science (and scientists) are molded by society, and how the dominant social and economic forces in society determine to a large extent what scientists do and how they do it. R.C. Lewinton is the author of \