Gift of knowledge: information technology has an essential role to play in world development. Credit: MARCUS ROSE/PANOS

Three months ago, the World Bank warned of the dangers of a growing ‘knowledge gap’ between the rich and poor nations (see Nature 395, 529; 1998 ). In the following pages, Nature's correspondents describe the increasing attention being paid to the search for ways in which this gap might be bridged.

The first article outlines the origins of the World Bank's concerns, and some of the debates this has provoked inside the bank about the nature of development aid. This is followed by a description of the growing interest in the United States and Europe in placing such aid on a more scientific footing.

Our Indian correspondent describes some cautionary tales of the pitfalls associated with imposing science-based solutions on problems where the social environment has not been adequately taken into account. Finally, we look at the promise offered by new communications technologies to the Third World, in particular the growing use of the Internet.

The picture that emerges is one of promise and opportunity, but also of significant hurdles, both financial and institutional. Both sets of issues will be discussed at the World Conference on Science, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) and the International Council of Science, and to be held in Budapest at the end of June.

In a bid both to contribute to and to stimulate discussion of the issues, a section of the Nature website will follow and comment on the preparations for the conference. The site opens today (7 January) with a contribution from Federico Mayor, the director-general of Unesco, on why science needs to renew its ‘social contract’ with society, and includes fuller versions of the five articles published here. It can be accessed on http://www.nature.com .