The core of this volume is a report from a symposium held at the University of Goteborg in the Fall of 1991. It deals with the interplay of science and politics and how^ such interplay affects research agendas. The focus is on polar research in Antarctica, a continent that has been much in the news during the past couple of years. It gives me particular pleasure to thank all the speakers who took part in the program. All of them have many commitments and involvements in international polar research and the protection of Antarctica for its scientific and aesthetic values. The fact that such a distinguished group has been willing to come to Goteborg, to my mind attests to the importance and timeliness of our topic and the relevance of epistemological and policy issues in this field. A presentation of each speaker and author is made within the relevant chapters in the text. My interest in the Antarctic has its origins in discussions with Anders Karlqvist, the Director of the Swedish PolarResearch Secretariate at the Royal Academy of Science in Stockholm. Anders and I had worked together in the early 80's in a program on Technology and Culture, among other at the Research Policy Institute in Lund. At the time he was with the Swedish Council for Planning and Coordination of Research (FRN), its Committee for Future Oriented Research headed by Torsten Hagerstrand.