Yes, Hobson was definitely referring to society in general. (The context of the quotation was a reflection essay he wrote as outgoing editor of the American Physical Society's Physics and Society newsletter). The contradiction is expressed, for example, in the fact that many people like to play computer games, but are not interested in learning the math skills necessary to create the computer games. Or that people want cheap and abundant energy sources, but are not interested in learning the difficult physics behind the design and operation of such energy sources (and may in fact consider the physics boring and irrelevant to real life).

But I think Jeff also makes a good point that people are excited about the advances that technology makes possible - the enthusiasm about the SETI projects is a good example of this.

Todd
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* Todd Duncan *
* Science Integration Institute *
* duncan@scienceintegration.org *
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> From: "Eric R. Weeks" <weeks@deas.harvard.edu>
> Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 09:43:05 -0500
> To: info@scienceintegration.org, jlakin@home.com
> Cc: science@lists.pdx.edu
> Subject: Re: quote of the week
>
>
> Jeff Lakin wrote:
>> As technology grows and makes things easier to do, does that
>> make us less likely to progress and strive for knowledge and
>> further advancement in science and technology?
>
> The original quote:
>> "The fundamental contradiction of the scientific age might be the one
>> between our eager embrace of the technological fruits of science, and our
>> lazy rejection of the ways of thinking that made it all possible."
>>
>> - Art Hobson
>
> I thought the original quote was referring to society, not
> scientists specifically. For example, society wants computers &
> such, but they also want to embrace alternative medicine;
> they'd like traditional doctors & scientists to shut up about
> how such things are dubious. Magnet therapy is my personal favorite
> technique to dislike...
>
> --Eric