Top Science Policy Concerns

Top Science Policy Concerns

the-scientist.com

A group of 47 researchers, overwhelmingly from UK-based institutions, have laid out a list of 40 “key unanswered questions” in science policy, published on March 9 in PLoS One.

By “identifying key unanswered questions on the relationship between science and policy,” the researchers hope to help “improve the mutual understanding and effectiveness of those who work at the interface of science and policy,” they wrote in the paper.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I was about to blow off this little nutshell report for being uninformative when I caught the following comment from Harvard’s Sheila Jasanoff:

“The big challenge is that most scientists and policymakers remain blissfully unaware of all that we do actually know... This is a failure of education, and maybe also of science communication.”

Now that's astute.

Not to mention a great argument for Open Access to scientific information.

Time to educate the decision-makers, opinion-makers and law-makers - and everyone who might eventually become one.




the-scientist.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by soficrow


At least there a few scientific minds out there that see we have misplaced some of our knowledge. It'll take twenty years to figure out what we already know. Research and file somewhere where it will not be found. Research it again and put it right next to the other evidence where it will never be found. I have seen research by colleges 5 years before someone researched it again and found something new and exiting. Wonder what the original people researching it would say when they saw their old research being discovered for the first time.

Originally posted by soficrow


I was about to blow off this little nutshell report for being uninformative when I caught the following comment from Harvard’s Sheila Jasanoff:

“The big challenge is that most scientists and policymakers remain blissfully unaware of all that we do actually know... This is a failure of education, and maybe also of science communication.”

Now that's astute.

Not to mention a great argument for Open Access to scientific information.

Time to educate the decision-makers, opinion-makers and law-makers - and everyone who might eventually become one.




the-scientist.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

That's what happens when money and politics invade science.

Data becomes secret, findings that contradict previous stands gets hidden, etc...

I'm quite concerned about the state of science in todays world, it's not good.

I believe the problem has crystallized into a relatively simple conflict between two principles.

1) Policy-makers in government have taken, as their prime activity, the furtherance of commerce and commercial enterprise. Why this is so is a topic for another thread. Suffice to say, in a largely capitalized society, those with the most capital have the most influence.

2) There has been a successful blurring of definitions such that commercially viable "technology" has been confused with "science." In other words the sequestrations of scientific data and discovery has been wrongly bundled with applied technology - and thus protected by policy for commerce as a 'business asset.'

I think that the basic problem is one which can be summarized with one repugnant word; "greed."

Of course, one could add vanity, vainglory, misplaced ideology, and self-serving political expedience... but you get my drift, I suspect.

Originally posted by Maxmars


2) There has been a successful blurring of definitions such that commercially viable "technology" has been confused with "science." In other words the sequestrations of scientific data and discovery has been wrongly bundled with applied technology - and thus protected by policy for commerce as a 'business asset.'

I think that the basic problem is one which can be summarized with one repugnant word; "greed."

Of course, one could add vanity, vainglory, misplaced ideology, and self-serving political expedience... but you get my drift, I suspect.

Yeah pretty much this. I mean why invent Artificial Intelligent when you can improve the Ipad and sell millions of them at two hundred dollars a piece. This is also a major problem in the Medical Industry where instead of Doctors going into General Medicine I;E Family Doctors , They all become Specialist so they can make the mos tleading to a major shortage of Family Doctors.

There will always be a 'battle' between the desire to freely distribute knowledge and the desire to maintain an advantage in science/engineering/processing/what-have-you capabilities.

I, honestly, think the field will level out in the near future with the growing popularity of E-books, particularly for reference material (where searches and database queries can be effectively used to save huge amounts of time 'legging' through books for related subjects and materials).

The low cost to publish combined with the draw of residual income will make it a capitalist endeavor to publish (for socially acceptable fees) large amounts of research. Not only will large institutes be able to make money off of publishing their research - venture researchers can, as well (and will likely take advantage of Nook, Kindle, Google, and other e-book publishers well in advance of larger institutions... probably already are, I'm just not prepared with examples).

In the age of information - the production and distribution of information will be just as, if not more lucrative than the products that research will benefit.

If you look at china you can see one thing pretty clear.

Most people who are high up in the Gov their, either have a technical or scientific degree. Meaning that they actually know what they are doing. Looking at the past 20 years i guess nobody can deny the effectiveness of...

well Educated Politicians.

The western World has over the years been invaded by Incompetent Demagogue`s who`s only skill is Pandering and appealing to the masses.

A candidate that actually has good ideas often doesnt have a chance.

reply to post by Inesophet


Most of America's government seats are filled by people with "law" degrees who come from a background of being a lawyer. Hence why they debate whether or not to consult experts before drafting legislation granting the authority to shut down the very servers that process billions of dollars of economic transactions every day.