Dear David

I and my colleagues are well aware of the debate that surrounds the "Green
Revolution". As with so much of the debate about science and its impact on
society, it is a complex issue with positive and negative effects (and a lot
of grey in between???). But we had enough of a problem condensing the
science into a manageable chunk, let alone trying to do justice to the
science AND the social/political/economic impact of the green revolution AND
the social/political/economic agenda of the protagonists in the current
debate.

I am all for a proper debate about the impact of science but that is not
going to happen in a few hundred words on an exhibit/handout/website. Those
who staffed the stand did have a lot of interesting discussions that were
not exclusively about the "science" of the dwarfing gene.

By the way the exhibit was not trying to promote the use of the gene through
GM to make high yielding crops - although this is potentially a promising
application. It described how the gene seems to have a general effect in
plants (when you move it using GM technology) as would be expected from what
we know of its mode of action.

Regards
Ray Mathias

-----Original Message-----
From: David Steven [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, July 21, 2000 2:42 PM
To: Psci-Com (E-mail)
Subject: RE: New Frontiers in Science lives on


I enjoyed this exhibition.

One observation, though.

There is an exhibit from the John Innes centre about the green revolution
(the introduction of new varieties of crops into the third world), which
explains how new high yielding varieties of wheat were developed through
crop breeding.  It also explains that the relevant gene has now been
isolated and that it could be used to create high yield GM crops.

What I've been wondering is whether it is right to concentrate purely on the
science, as this exhibit of the other exhibits do (with the possible
exception of a BT exhibit on IT), or whether it is important to explore the
impact that the science had on society.  The green revolution is still
immensely controversial and many of the same battles are being fought over
GM foods.  The exhibit could, if it had chosen, have launched itself into a
passionate and topical debate.

Or is it enough just to spotlight the science - when there's so much debate
elsewhere?

David

_____________________

David Steven
River Path Associates
61a West Borough 
Wimborne
Dorset UK
BH21 1LX

E   [log in to unmask]
T   +44 (0)1202 849993
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_____________________



-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 21 July 2000 14:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: New Frontiers in Science lives on


	A web version of the summer exhibition 'New Frontiers in Science' is
now up the Royal Society's site http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/
	If you click on the banner on our home page and then click on enter.
Following the title sequence, the navigation instructions can be found on
the introduction page.  The site requires a Flash 4 plug-in.  
	Please let me know if you have problems.  
	   
	Claire 

Claire Sanford
Manager, Science Communication

tel  +44 (0) 171 451 2580
fax  +44 (0) 171 451 2693
email  [log in to unmask]

Registered Charity No 207043
The Royal Society - promoting excellence in science



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