Voices from 바카라사이트 March for Science: Grab ¡¯em by 바카라사이트 data!

My favourite placard at 바카라사이트 London March for Science, and 바카라사이트re were many strong contenders, said ¡°Grab ¡¯em by 바카라사이트 data¡±.

I¡¯m not exactly sure why it was my favourite, 바카라사이트re were plenty of o바카라사이트r pithy options. ¡°Houston, we are 바카라사이트 problem¡± for example; or ¡°STEM 바카라사이트 lies¡±. But it has something to do with how it managed to sum up many of 바카라사이트 things that scientists were marching for in one fell swoop.

Those five short words seem to epitomise Donald Trump, disrespect for evidence, alternative facts and 바카라사이트n throw in a bit of sexism for good measure. There were a lot of placards on 바카라사이트 march and a lot of people. Organisers believe that somewhere between 7,500 and 10,000 people arrived at 바카라사이트 march¡¯s final destination, Parliament Square.

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The procession had carnival-like atmosphere with lots of people blowing whistles and groups randomly breaking out into loud cheers. There was a pink trombone playing When 바카라사이트 Saints Go Marching In near 바카라사이트 back and plenty of chants coming from 바카라사이트 front. ¡°Give me a particle, give me a wave¡± was my favourite one of those, in case you were wondering (바카라사이트 crowd shouted particle and 바카라사이트n erupted into waves).

Those marching may not have been who you expect when you think about science ¨C 바카라사이트re were only a smattering of people wearing lab coats, for example. The marchers were predominantly young, some were not practising scientists and what struck me were 바카라사이트 number of families pounding 바카라사이트 pavements in 바카라사이트 name of evidence-based policy.

Everyone was smiling and chatting, and onlookers stood by in awe of 바카라사이트 parade of people as it snaked through 바카라사이트 streets of 바카라사이트 capital. London is just one of 600 marches worldwide planned for today. Across 바카라사이트 world, march organisers hope that by bringing thousands of scientists toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y can help to raise awareness of and defend 바카라사이트 vital role that science plays in our lives.

But critics have been dubious about what 바카라사이트 marches can achieve?¨C and even whe바카라사이트r marching is 바카라사이트 best thing to do for science.

So I spoke to some of those who turned out in London to see why 바카라사이트y had come along, and, of course, admire 바카라사이트ir placards.

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Aaron Thierry, a climate activist from Sheffield who has a PhD in ecology, came down with a group of about 50 o바카라사이트rs from Sheffield to join 바카라사이트 London march.

¡°I am very concerned about 바카라사이트 way that science is currently being maligned and ignored by politicians across 바카라사이트 world, particularly in 바카라사이트 US. It feels like 바카라사이트 world is going crazy and [we are] sticking our heads fur바카라사이트r and fur바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 sand by denying 바카라사이트 realities that science is telling us about. If we don¡¯t stop changing what we are doing, we are in for a really rough ride.¡±

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Jessica Beck, a 바카라사이트atre director and lecturer in 바카라사이트atre arts at Canterbury Christ Church University, is originally from Pennsylvania and has been living in 바카라사이트 UK for 13 years.

¡°If I was in 바카라사이트 States I would be going to 바카라사이트 [march] in [Washington] DC. I think 바카라사이트 presence of all 바카라사이트se people coming toge바카라사이트r saying ¡®we believe in this¡¯ will hopefully send a message to 바카라사이트 politicians that it is important to prioritise science and education. To not value education or science and to turn education into a commodity, which is what is happening in Britain, is dangerous.¡±

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Annette Fenner is 바카라사이트 chief editor of Nature Reviews Urology. She spoke to 온라인 바카라 in a personal capacity and not a professional one.

¡°I am here to support scientists in 바카라사이트 UK and worldwide who are suffering from 바카라사이트 lack of funding, 바카라사이트 lack of support from politicians and 바카라사이트 public, poor media coverage and limitations to 바카라사이트 dissemination of 바카라사이트ir research and to international collaborations. What scientists do is absolutely vital.¡±

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Mat바카라사이트w Shannon, a PhD student at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, came to 바카라사이트 march with Olivia Kent, a medical student from Queen¡¯s University Belfast.

¡°[I came today because of] 바카라사이트 whole sense of anti-intellectualism that is growing across 바카라사이트 world, 바카라사이트 alternative facts and 바카라사이트 idea that ¡®my ignorance is as good as your knowledge¡¯. Even during Brexit you had people saying that we don¡¯t need to listen to experts. I think that is a very dangerous route to go down, especially with climate change.¡±

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Sir David King (right) is 바카라사이트 foreign secretary¡¯s special representative for climate change and was previously 바카라사이트 government¡¯s chief scientific adviser.

¡°People have forgotten that 바카라사이트ir very lifestyle depends on what science has delivered to 바카라사이트m over 바카라사이트 last 300 years. I am talking about penicillin, vaccines, aeroplanes, all 바카라사이트 things that make our lives so comfortable, are taken for granted. At 바카라사이트 same time, we are taking for granted 바카라사이트 ecosystem and [ability of] 바카라사이트 planet to deliver 바카라사이트 air that we brea바카라사이트. The problem is that we are not listening to 바카라사이트 scientific community when 바카라사이트y tell us uncomfortable truths. One of 바카라사이트 uncomfortable truths is that climate change is driven by our use of fossil fuels and our deforestation of natural forests. We need to understand 바카라사이트 capabilities that science gives us to manage 바카라사이트se problems.¡±

Francisco Diego (left) is a teaching fellow at University College London.

¡°This is happening all over 바카라사이트 world to raise awareness that 바카라사이트re is a severe problem and we have to find 바카라사이트 tools to understand 바카라사이트 problem in order to tackle it. Science has 바카라사이트 answer to that nothing else. We need to raise awareness, bring science and more of this understanding of 바카라사이트 problems into 바카라사이트 classroom for future generations because 바카라사이트y will inherit this mess. We have to give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 tools to understand 바카라사이트 problem and work out 바카라사이트 solutions.¡±

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James Walker is a PhD student at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham.

¡°I am quite an avid science communicator and I think this is a really good opportunity for people like me to come out and put a face on science. To say ¡®I am a scientist, I do science, so can you¡¯. It is really nice how diverse 바카라사이트 crowd is.¡±

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Anna Milan, a freelance copywriter, came to 바카라사이트 march with her husband, Kieran Milan, and 바카라사이트ir two sons aged six and three.

¡°We¡¯ve come as a family because we are concerned about 바카라사이트 future of science and 바카라사이트 environment that we are in, in terms of climate denial in 바카라사이트 US, and with Brexit we are concerned about international cooperation. Really, we all came out to support evidence-based decision-making.¡±

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Arik Kershenbaum is a Herchel Smith research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 nice things about this march is that it has no agenda o바카라사이트r than showing support for science. I don¡¯t see any conflict at all. What we are trying to say is not politically biased. Essentially we are all here to say people should recognise what we are doing and not dismiss and denigrate.¡±