I caught Robert Winston promoting a new book of his ('Bad Ideas') on Radio 4's Start the Week this morning. Apparently, his book contains something akin to a manifesto addressed to scientists. He said it calls on scientists to listen more to the concerns of the public. He mentioned evidence suggesting that scientists do better work when they listen in the way he was suggesting. When Andrew Marr asked him about whether the climate-change debate had played a part in this, he very deliberately said he stands on the fence on the nature and causes of climate change but said,
'but I think what I ask is for scientists to be somewhat sceptical, not because the evidence isn't overwhelmingly in favour of anthropogenic climate change but because actually if we're sceptical about our own results, that is better'.
I doubt that kind of comment is going to endear him to the people who continue to insist that the blame for any damage to public trust in science stemming from the CRU affair can
be levelled at irresponsible media reporting and the fossil-fuel-industry-sponsored depredations of the enemy they call 'climate denialism'. But I wonder if these calls for greater transparency and scientific scepticism aren't going to prevail over the blame-it-all-on-the-media-and-denialists camp. And if they do prevail, well, that's a kind of fallout I'd prefer to radiocaesium.
Chris
________________________________
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Juliet Upton
Sent: 22 February 2010 14:33
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [PSCI-COM] Science damaged by climate row says NAS chief Cicerone
Apologies for cross-posting
I'm interested to know whether anyone has any more evidence on this view. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8525879.stm
He alludes to "evidence that the distrust has spread" and the report suggests that BBC polls appear to be confirming this.
If this is all true, what do people believe will be the ultimate fall-out in terms of public trust and engagement with science and scientists?
Juliet
Juliet Upton
Independent Consultant
+44 (0)7811 440918
[log in to unmask]
Interim Head of Business Development
The Royal Institution
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