A House of Lord's report says more must be done to restore public confidence in science, following the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) debacle and recent concerns over genetically-modified (GM) food. The Science and Society report, published last week, also suggests that there should be more rigorous guidelines for science journalists. However, they rejected calls for a Code of Practice for science reporting, as recommended by a Commons science and technology committee last May. 'Scientists must take the rough with the smooth, and learn to work with the media as they are' they say.
The Lords urge scientists to have a more open dialogue with the public 'that includes listening as well as talking'. The report makes several recommendations aimed at helping scientists rebuild public trust, including a suggestion that funding bodies reward scientists who choose to communicate their findings to the public. They also say the government should support websites giving links to reliable scientific information.
Despite the public mistrust of science highlighted in the Lord's report, survey results revealed last week appear to tell a different story. Science minister Lord Sainsbury presented the results of a survey of 1,800 people at the launch of National Science Week. It found that three-quarters of people claim to be amazed by scientific discoveries, and 84 per cent say that science and engineering are making a valuable contribution to society. A separate MORI poll on gene therapy found that although 65 per cent of adults are unclear about what gene cloning was, 74 per cent would let their child undergo gene therapy.
Sources and References
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Is there a spin doctor in the house?
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Parents back gene therapy
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Scientists 'must build' public trust
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Public's vote of confidence for scientists
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