Science is not just a body of facts – it’s important to have a grasp of the process by which conclusions are drawn, and the possible pitfalls on that path
- Professor David Spiegelhalter
Scientists from the UK and Australia, concerned with the lack of scientific knowledge among key decision makers, have created 20 concepts to help those who interact regularly with science and scientists.
Recent issues such as nuclear power, bee declines, and the role of badgers in bovine tuberculosis have seen fierce debates and policy decisions being made without the support of the scientific community, something Professors William Sutherland, David Spiegelhalter and Mark Burgman have set out to change.
These scientists want to help people grasp the “imperfect nature of science” and enable policy-makers to interrogate their advisers and experts instead of simply accepting information as it is given. Though change will take time, it is their belief that “a wider understanding of these 20 concepts by society would be a marked step forward”, and could only lead to a better-informed future.
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Image: Dr Pete Wothers giving a chemistry demonstration to an audience at the Cambridge Science Festival including David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science.
Credit: Sir Cam/University of Cambridge
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge
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