The Royal Society Science Policy Centre Annual Debate
28th June 2010
Southbank Centre, London 17:30
On 28th June, The Royal Society, in partnership with Sciencewise-ERC is hosting a major debate at the South Bank Centre in London on The Experimental Society - What happens when evidence, uncertainty and politics collide? Scientists were once imagined ‘speaking truth to power.’ Today they are more likely to be accused of playing politics. High-profile controversies surrounding the University of East Anglia’s hacked e-mails, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the dismissal of Professor David Nutt as a government drugs adviser highlight the sometimes uneasy relationship between science, politics and the public. The Royal Society has for 350 years defended the importance of evidence, scepticism and experimentation. How do these principles translate to 21st century politics, when countless decisions rest on the robustness of scientific advice? Can policymakers improve the way they deal with scientific uncertainty? How much scepticism and experimentation can the public handle? Our speakers will be: •Lord Martin Rees, President, The Royal Society •Lord John Krebs FRS, Principal, Jesus College, Oxford and Chair, Royal Society Science Policy Advisory Group •Professor Sheila Jasanoff, Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Harvard University •Professor David Nutt, Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London and Chair of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs •Professor Michael Hulme, Professor of Climate Change at the University of East Anglia and author of ‘Why we disagree about climate change’ •Dr James Wilsdon, Director of Science Policy, The Royal Society (chair) This event forms part of See Further: The Festival of Science + Arts, a unique ten-day festival to mark the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society through a host of cross-disciplinary collaborations, scientific and artistic events (http://seefurtherfestival.org/) Doors open at 5.30pm. Debate runs from 6.00–7.30pm http://www.seefurtherfestival.org/events?event_type=Talks+and+discussion
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