![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
You are in: Science/Nature: Specials: Sheffield 99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() Public distrust of science: who is to blame?
Scientists seem to be distrusted by the public
As scientists debate the public's apprehension about science at this week's British Association conference our Science Editor Dr David Whitehouse asks
who is to blame?
According to any recent straw poll the public fears science and distrusts scientists (except of course when they fall ill). Scare stories
All journalists know that scares make good stories. Such stories have a momentum of their own and frequently do not even require facts to keep them moving forward, witness the outcry about GM foods earlier this year. Safety record The onslaught against GM foods went far beyond a discussion of the scientific facts. To the extent that now opponents of these so-called 'Frankenfoods' will not allow scientists to even gather basic scientific data on which to base future discussions.
Actually GM foods have a strong safety record. But still the public feels uneasy and mistrustful of science.
In praise of science
Do we blame science for these things? Do we praise science for them? Probably not. But the fact is that without science you might well be cold and hungry, with a short life expectancy and plagued by horrible diseases. Science misjudged Yet it is not on this aspect of science that the public judges science and scientists. They judge it on BSE, nuclear power, GM foods, cloning and CFCs. Let's get one thing straight about BSE, Science did not 'get it wrong'. What caused it was cost-cutting in the rendering industry. Of course scientific research throws up dilemmas, fears, possibly a horrific, polluted genetic nightmare future. But is also offers untold good. The problem is that in fearing one of these possible futures and looking around for someone or something to blame, we may lose the benefits of science. All because the public today is so often misled about the difference between fact and fiction, dream and nightmare. |
![]() |
Top Sheffield 99 stories now:
![]() ![]() Links to more Sheffield 99 stories are at the foot of the page.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Links to more Sheffield 99 stories |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>> | To BBC World Service>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy |