Are There Barbarians at the Gates of Science?

Alessandro Baricco paints a lively portrait of the modern-age barbarian in his 2014 book, The Barbarians. He initially frames the issue as a simple struggle between the shallow and the profound: Mickey Mouse versus Flaubert, Big Mac against the bouillabaisse. The barbarian is superficial, abhors depth, and spreads knowledge as thinly as possible across the globe. The favorite means of transport is the Internet, which connects everything and everyone at the speed of light.

But in his last chapter, Baricco visits the ultimate barrier built against the advancing hordes: the Great Wall of China. When he stands on the meandering wall and looks over the empty steppes, he is suddenly in doubt. On which side are the Barbarian hordes?

This existential question is especially appropriate for modern science, whose border with society is longer, more winding, and more porous than it has ever been.