Hello all,
I'm forwarding these notices, which may be interesting. Apologies for
any-cross postings.
Karen
INTERROGATING THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE Friday 14 July 2000,
The Royal Institution.
With concerns over everything from mobile phones to 'love
bugs' (not to mention GM) the understanding the "precautionary
principle" is a pressing issue. Full details are below - hope
you can make this one and please forward the details to
colleagues who you think might be interested.
Kind regards
Tony Gilland
Co-ordinator, Interrogating the Precautionary Principle
+44 7970 658 979
[log in to unmask]
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INTERROGATING THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
Friday 14 July 2000
The Royal Institution of Great Britain
Many have criticised Prince Charles' recent pronouncement that
we should "restore the balance" between traditional
"instinctive wisdom" and that of scientific rationalism.
Nevertheless, concerns about global warming, mobile phones and
genetic engineering, to name just a few examples, suggest that
society is ncreasingly nervous about the harmful consequences
of its own actions. The idea of precaution and risk avoidance
is at the heart of debate about the future of society.
At 'Interrogating the Precautionary Principle', eminent
scientists, social scientists and writers will question the
premises of the "precautionary principle", justify their views
about its applicability to modern society, and consider what
it is that society has become so afraid of.
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DATE: Friday 14 July 2000, registration 10.00-11.00am
VENUE: The Royal Institution, 21 Albermarle Street, London, W1
TICKETS: #25/#20 (phone the RI box office on (020) 7670 2986)
CONVENED BY: Tony Gilland, Professor Susan Greenfield and Dr
Helene Guldberg
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SESSIONS:
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11.00am-12.30pm
FROM GM FOOD TO GLOBAL WARMING: PRECAUTION, SCIENCE AND
INNOVATION
Speakers:
- Lisa Jardine, author, Ingenious Pursuits: building the
scientific revolution
- Norman Levitt, professor of mathematics, Rutgers University;
author, Prometheus Bedeviled: science and the contradictions
of contemporary culture
- Professor Anthony Trewavas, Institute of Cell and Molecular
Biology, University of Edinburgh
- Professor Brian Wynne, research director, Centre for the
Study of Environmental Change, Lancaster University
Chair: Dr Helene Guldberg, former publisher, LM magazine
Scientific discovery was once celebrated for enabling greater
prosperity, health and knowledge. Now it is criticised for
exposing us to new risks with potentially catastrophic
consequences. Are the uncertainties involved in modern science
of a new order of magnitude or has society lost its nerve?
2.00-3.30pm
GOVERNMENT, BIG BUSINESS AND CAMPAIGN GROUPS: WHO DECIDES?
Speakers:
- Simon Best, CEO, Geron Bio-Med Ltd
- Professor David Cope, director, Parliamentary Office of
Science and Technology
- Dr Douglas Parr, chief scientific adviser, Greenpeace UK
- John Vidal, environment editor, The Guardian
Chair: Anne Furedi, director of communications, British
Pregnancy Advisory
Service
How can public confidence in science and innovation be
rebuilt? In a world of political apathy, where governments are
viewed as sleaze-ridden and multinationals as greedy
profiteers, who should decide what risks society should take?
Does the deference to consumer campaigns and media coverage
reflect an abdication of leadership, or an enhancement of the
democratic process?
4.00-5.30pm
A CULTURE OF CAUTION?
Speakers:
- Carl Djerassi, professor of chemistry, Stanford University;
recipient of the National Medal of Science (for the first
synthesis of a steroid oral contraceptive)
- Dr Frank Furedi, reader in sociology, University of Kent at
Canterbury; author, Culture of Fear
- Judy Larkin, specialist in reputation risk management and
partner of Regester Larkin
- Michael Willmott, co-founder and director, Future Foundation
Chair: Professor Susan Greenfield, director, The Royal
Institution
Risk and safety have become buzzwords for our time. They
permeate discussions of everything from child-rearing and
personal relationships, to economic development and new
technologies. Is there a connection between these fears?
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This event has been organised in partnership with the Royal
Institution as part of THE INSTITUTE OF IDEAS: a Summer 2000
series of debates around the
themes of freedom, culture, science, thought and morality:
THE INSTITUTE OF IDEAS
An Intellectual Map for the 21st Century
16 June to 16 July 2000
For further details on INTERROGATING THE PRECAUTIONARY
PRINCIPLE contact Tony Gilland on 07970 658 979 or via email:
[log in to unmask] For
more information about THE INSTITUTE OF IDEAS, please call
Tiffany Jenkins
on (020) 7269 9227 or visit www.InstituteOfIdeas.com
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Associated INSTITUTE OF IDEAS events:
NATURAL HAZARDS
Friday 7 July, 10.30am-5.00pm, University College London
Produced by: Dr Peter Sammonds, (020) 7679 2422
Speakers include:
- Dr Bob Chaplow, NIREX
- Piers Corbyn, Weather Action
- Lord Julian Hunt FRS, professor of climate modelling, UCL,
and former
director, Met Office
- Bill McGuire, professor of geohazards; director, Benfield
Greig Hazard
Research Centre; author, Apocalypse; TV's 'Disaster man'
- Dr Mark Saunders, Mullard Space Science Laboratory
www.ucl.ac.uk/geolsci/research/rip/HAZARDS.htm
DETERMINED TO SURVIVE?
Wednesday 21 June 2000, 5.30pm, University of Newcastle
Produced by: Caspar Hewett, (0191) 222 5680
Speakers:
- Christopher Badcock, author, Psychodarwinism: the new
synthesis of Darwin and Freud
- Dr Helene Guldberg, developmental psychologist
- Matt Ridley, author, The Red Queen, The Origins of Virtue,
Genome; columnist, Daily Telegraph
DEVELOPMENT IN DANGER
Thursday 29 June, 10.00am, The Royal Commonwealth Society,
London
Produced by: Reshmi Parag for WORLDwrite, (020) 8985 5435
Speakers include:
- Dr Bernard Dixon, European Federation of Biotechnology
- James Heartfield, assistant producer, Attack of the Killer
Tomatoes
- Kitty Warnock, Panos
www.worldwrite.org.uk
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Tony Gilland
T. +44 20 8809 5268
F. +44 20 8376 2566
M. +44 7970 658 979
E. [log in to unmask]
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