‘Can Scientists Succeed Where Politicians Fail?’: Playing Peacemaker

Molecular biologist and Nobel Laureate Peter Agre envisions himself as a ‘science diplomat.’

"Can Scientists Succeed Where Politicians Fail?" by Peter Agre with Seema Yasmin suggests that scientists can be peacemakers on the world stage. Johns Hopkins University Press

The concept of Peter Agre’s new book, “Can Scientists Succeed Where Politicians Fail?” is certainly bold: how scientists have the potential to serve as global ambassadors for peace. In his view, scientists are infinitely more capable of handling diplomacy and securing cooperation among rival nations than political leaders.

“Where politicians fail to reach consensus, scientists push for peace, ease stalemate negotiations, and remind us that challenges connect humanity more than they divide,” he wrote in the book’s introduction.