Science Organizations

In addition to publications, scientists form associations with other scientists from particular fields. Many scientific organizations arrange conferences that bring together scientists to share new ideas. At these conferences, scientists present research papers and discuss their implications. In addition, science organizations promote the work of their members by publishing newsletters and Web sites; networking with journalists at newspapers, magazines, and television stations to help them understand new findings; and lobbying lawmakers to promote government funding for research.

The oldest surviving science organization is the Accademia dei Lincei, in Italy, which was established in 1603. The same century also saw the inauguration of the Royal Society of London, founded in 1662, and the Academie des Sciences de Paris, founded in 1666. American scientific societies date back to the 18th century, when American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin founded a philosophical club in 1727. In 1743 this organization became the American Philosophical Society, which still exists today.

In the United States, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) plays a key role in fostering the public understanding of science and in promoting scientific research.

AAAS was founded in 1848 for the purpose of advancing science in the New World in every feasible way. The association emphasizes the unity of interest of workers in all branches of science, which it promotes through the publication of reports and the organization of meetings. One of the largest associations of scientists in the world, it has some 285 affiliated and associated societies, covering the entire field of pure and applied science. It is grouped in 19 sections: mathematics; physics; chemistry; astronomy; geology and geography; biological sciences; anthropology; psychology; social and economic sciences; history and philosophy of science; engineering; medical sciences; dentistry; pharmaceutical sciences; agriculture; industrial science; information, computing, and communication; atmospheric and hydrospheric sciences; and social impacts of science and engineering. The association publishes the weekly magazine Science, as well as various symposium volumes. It has produced new materials for the teaching of science from kindergarten through the elementary grades.

Headquarters of the AAAS is located in Washington, D.C. There are similar organizations that have been established in several other countries, as, for example, the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Institut de France.

Since the late 19 century, communication among scientists has also been improved by international organizations, such as the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, founded in 1873, the International Council of Research, founded in 1919, and the World Health Organization, founded in 1948. Other organizations act as international forums for research in particular fields. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IРСС), established in 1988, assesses research on how climate change occurs, and what effects change is likely to have on humans and their environment.

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