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Address of the President, Sir Michael Atiyah, O. M., given at the Anniversary Meeting on 30 November 1995

The President’s Anniversary Address to the Society provides an occasion for reflection on matters of importance to science, particularly those of the previous year. The address is a personal one, not a collective statement of Royal Society policy, but the restraints of office have to be borne in mind. The President has to face his fellow Officers and Council during the next year, and he has to retain the confidence of the Fellowship. But these restrictions do not apply at his farewell address, his swan song which terminates his role before the evening is out. In other words, as an outgoing President, I can speak more freely and not weigh up my words with too much diplomatic tact. This is my last chance to emphasize the things I think are really important and to provide some food for thought for my successors. Too often we have to react to external events, to short-term crises, to financial cuts or to ministerial changes. In this semi-political world in which the scientific community has to operate we are in danger of losing our way and our identity. The scientific ethos becomes increasingly hard to discern. So today I would like to discuss some of the major issues of principle that we face.