A narrative account of what might occur the first day of a nuclear war is interspersed with facts about the nuclear arms race and about the destructive power of weapons already stockpiled in the United States and the Soviet Union. A plea is made for preserving civilization from such a catastrophe.

Two themes upon which the operation of the Department of Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, is based are: (1) Educational institutions are successful when educational traditions are consistent with practices; and (2) the fortunes of a department depend on the field's status and other developments in society as a whole.

Deeply involved in the development of science education from kindergarten through high school, the author argues that education is the base from which scientists emerge and on which they maintain themselves and the device by which a public that understands and supports the scientific enterprise is generated. An effective educational program, therefore—for both future scientists and lay citizens in a scientific world—requires the intimate collaboration of scientists and educators.

All children and youth should have some opportunity to study science.1 Why? Primarily because of the nature of science and scientific endeavor. Science is the investigation and interpretation of events that occur in our natural, physical environment and within our bodies.

Science has led us to a point where we can have peace, prosperity, and plenty. It has also led us into a situation where a few men could destroy the human civilization that has been built up over a period of centuries. The author looks these two paths and then makes a few very humble suggestions that might conceivably help us to exercise some control over our future.

One of the most important tasks that faces the school is to help young people prepare for the choices that they will have to make. It is important for us to help youth to become aware of choices, analyze alternatives, and consider the processes whereby choices are made. The discussion which follows is an attempt to state some of the elements involved in decisions, some of the general types of choices, and various aspects of the educational problems involved in preparation of young people for wiser actions and better choices.