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The Current Context for Science and Public Policy

The Current Context for Science and Public Policy. EPA STAR Fellows September 22, 2009. First, a few words about “science policy”. “Science Policy” is an amorphous concept with different meanings to different people (agencies). Has two forms. The two faces of “science policy” .

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The Current Context for Science and Public Policy

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  1. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows September 22, 2009

  2. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 First, a few words about “science policy”

  3. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 “Science Policy” is an amorphous concept with different meanings to different people (agencies) • Has two forms

  4. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 The two faces of “science policy” • Policies surrounding the funding and conduct of science • Use of science in making public policy

  5. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 “Hot” current policy issues surrounding science • Budgets • What to do after the stimulus funding • “The cliff” • Transformative (high risk-high payoff) research • Keeping the pipeline of investigators healthy • Conflicts of interest

  6. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 The two faces of “science policy” • Policies surrounding the funding and conduct of science • Use of science in making public policy

  7. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Why do we have science anyway? • To provide natural explanations of the nature and workings of the natural world • Whether we like the answers or not! • To improve the human condition

  8. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Baseline truism: Science and technology are ever-more imbedded in every aspect of modern life!

  9. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Some major global societal issues • Environmentally sustainable development • Need for renewable energy sources • Information and communications technology • Universal access to education • Poverty and economic opportunity • Technology-based manufacturing and jobs • Intellectual property rights • Terrorism • International security • Natural disasters • Science and technology capacity building • Vaccines and medical therapies against infectious diseases • Quality and accessibility of health care

  10. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Corollaries: • For people to prosper in modern society, they need fundamental understanding and comfort with S&T • For nations to prosper they need • Scientific capacity • National policies that reflect the best science • For science to prosper, the science-society relationship must be positive and strong

  11. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed. Abraham Lincoln

  12. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 The science-society relationship has not always been smooth Think Galileo!

  13. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 The science-society relationship has been rather tense over the last decade

  14. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 As Charles Dickens would say….. • We’ve been living in the best of times • And the worst of times

  15. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 On the one hand We’re living in the best of scientific times

  16. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Advances in science are coming at a fantastic pace • The rate of incremental advance is accelerating • New technologies are enabling quantum jumps in understanding • With great practical significance

  17. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 On the other hand….

  18. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Other issues within science are not going so well…and negatively affect the broader (societal) context for science • Incidents of scientific misconduct • Human subjects concerns • Animal welfare issues • Conflict of interest problems

  19. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 These are factors internal to science • There are problematic externalfactors as well

  20. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 People generally still respect science and technology….

  21. Source: Science and Engineering Indicators, 2008

  22. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 They have little understanding of what is and is not science • 60% of Americans believe in extrasensory perception • 41% think astrology is somewhat scientific • 47% still do not answer “true” to the statement: “Human beings developed from earlier species of animals” Science and Engineering Indicators, 2004

  23. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Some Americans have reservations about science Science and Engineering Indicators, 2006

  24. There’s a lesson here!

  25. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 People need to know more about science as an enterprise • What makes something scientific? • The limits of scientific investigation • Natural explanations of the natural world

  26. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Much science-society tension results from conflicts between scientific findings and • Political/economic expediency • Core human values

  27. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 One political (economic) example… • Is there global warming?

  28. The Earth continues to get hotter °C Green bars show 95% confidence intervals 2005 was the hottest year on record; the 13 hottest all occurred since 1990, 23 out of the 24 hottest since 1980. J. Hansen et al., PNAS 103: 14288-293 (26 Sept 2006)

  29. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Within science, whether the earth is warming is no longer controversial • What to do about it is controversial!

  30. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Science-society tension results from conflicts between scientific findings and • Political/economic expediency • Core human values

  31. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Current scientific issues that abut against core values • Embryonic stem cell research • Studying “personal” topics • Sex • Genetics of behavior • Teaching “Intelligent Design” versus evolution in science classrooms • Neuroscience – mind/body issues

  32. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Functional MRI of a “normal” subject writing a talk Anterior Right Ventral R L Broca’s area posterior Left Parietal Cortex L SMA R Broca’s area Dorsal L. Chang, M.D., T. Ernst, Ph.D., O. Speck, Ph.D. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Generating words (left brain dominant) Chang, et al.

  33. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 “Conflict” with politics and values has consequences for the science-society relationship • Creating a growing divide between science and the rest of society • Society wants to exert too much influence on what science is done

  34. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 These conflicts get played out in policy settings!

  35. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 We need to bring science to policymakers • That means you!

  36. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Policymakers (often/typically) reflect their constituents • And therefore the science-society tension/conflict can make for non-rational policy

  37. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 What to do about the science-society tension?

  38. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 We always feel we need more “public education” about science

  39. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 But we can’t just “educate” our way out of today’s tough issues • The problem is not just lack of understanding • People do understand much of what we’re saying or want to do • They don’t like it • The conflict with their core values trumps their view of societal benefits

  40. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 What can we do? • Continue protesting/lamenting the situation • The problem is not going to go away • “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome”

  41. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 What can we do? • Continue protesting/lamenting the situation • Adopt a more assertive strategy • Engage with the public on the issues • Try to find common ground

  42. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Public PublicUnderstanding Engagement

  43. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 We need to change not only the style and content but also the intent of the conversation: Communicating Communicating to the public with the public

  44. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 We need to listen to the public about: • Their concerns about science and technology and their concomitants • Risks and benefits • Encroachment on human values • Their priorities among research areas • Questions they would like or need us to answer • Help frame the research agenda

  45. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 Who’s going to do all this?

  46. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) • Founded in 1848 • World’s largest general scientific society • Spans all of science, engineering and technology • Global in membership and reach • 130,000 individual members • 262 affiliated societies and academies of science • Represents some 10 million scientists worldwide • Publisher of Science • Founded in 1880 by Thomas Edison • One million readers per week

  47. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 AAAS Mission: • To advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people • Advancing science, serving society Adopted by the AAAS Board, August 2007

  48. Enhance communication among scientists, engineers, and the public Promote and defend the integrity of science and its use Strengthen support for the science and technology enterprise Provide a voice for science on societal issues Promote the responsible use of science in public policy Strengthen and diversify the science and technology workforce Foster education in science and technology for everyone Increase public engagement with science and technology Advance international cooperation in science The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 AAAS Strategic Goals Adopted by the AAAS Board, August 2007

  49. The Current Context for Science and Public Policy EPA STAR Fellows, September 22, 2009 AAAS Program Activities (Policy) • Policy Fellowships for Scientists and Engineers • R&D Budget Analysis • Science and Human Rights • Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and the Law • Research Competitiveness Service • Center for Science, Technology and the Congress • Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy • Center for Science, Innovation and Sustainability

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