当代经济的发展,正呈现出一些引人注意的特点,并因此对科技产生着重要影响。首先,南北差距正在扩展,因而将在很长时间内存在着富裕阶层和相对贫困阶层的巨大反差。其次,生产力的高度社会化已成为当代经济发展主导的特点。社会化这一特点反映在生产技术上就要求有更充足的能源、原材料、新式的加工手段,从而激起了人们对物资和能量的运输、传输等流通网络的巨大需求。三是各种精神生产对物质生产的反作用越来越成为推动生产力前进的第一因素,因而各种讯息产业,其中包括知识的开拓、传播、储存和传递等的作用越来越重要。四是由于人作用于地球的反作 The development of the contemporary economy is showing some striking features and therefore has a major impact on science and technology. First, the North-South gap is widening, and for a long time there will be a huge contrast between the affluent and the relatively poor. Second, the high degree of socialization of productive forces has become the dominant feature of contemporary economic development. The fact that socialization reflects the fact that production technology requires more energy, raw materials and new processing methods has aroused great demand for distribution networks such as transportation and transmission of materials and energy. Third, the reaction of various spiritual production to material production has increasingly become the first factor driving forward the development of productive forces. Therefore, the role of various information industries, including the development, dissemination, storage and transmission of knowledge, is becoming more and more important. Fourth, people react to the earth