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>From: David S King <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Blair condemns protesters who thwart science
>Date: Tue, May 21, 2002, 11:31
>
> I'd be interested to hear list members' views on Tony Blair's statements.
> Is it simply an anti-science fashion?
>
No, but then Mr Blair (and most of the protesters) need to learn to
distinguish between science and technology. Indeed most of the 'Science'
that people are up in arms about is really technology based on the fruits of
scientific enquiry.
If you are an opponent of Nuclear Power, GM Food, or whatever, you stand a
much better chance of making a strong case against your particular bete noir
if you understand and appreciate the science behind the technology.
When we communicate science, whether informally or in schools and colleges
we need to distinguish between scientific knowledge and its technological
applications, and to make it clear that they are very different things,
which are driven by totally different motives.
So, understanding the physiscs of nuclear fission (and the intellectual
effort made to bring forth this knowledge in the first place) does not mean
that you have to agree with the application of this knowledge to nuclear
reactors or bombs. But, if you don't have the grounding in physics you may
not be able to assemble the most cogent arguments for not developing
technologies based on this knowledge.
Richard Ellam
L M Interactive
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