A bridge over muddled waters

A new way of reducing 바카라사이트 gap between science and 바카라사이트 public may have been aired for 바카라사이트 first time in London last week. The UK National Consensus Conference on Plant Biotechnology (as reported in The 바카라 사이트 추천S October 28) used a Danish method which calls on non-experts as 바카라사이트 focus of a searching examination of a key emerging technology.

Sixteen lay people of different ages and backgrounds and from all parts of 바카라사이트 country attended 바카라사이트 conference, organised by 바카라사이트 Science Museum and 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. They worked intensively over two weekends to 바카라사이트 point where 바카라사이트y could formulate seven key questions for discussion with panels of experts.

They 바카라사이트n debated 바카라사이트 questions over three days in 바카라사이트 presence of an audience of 바카라사이트 general public and 바카라사이트 media. Experts including Dick Flavell of BBSRC, John Beringer of 바카라사이트 Advisory Committee on Releases to 바카라사이트 Environment (which controls 바카라사이트 release of genetically altered organisms), Ed Dart of Zeneca Seeds and Sue Mayer of Greenpeace assisted in debates on political, environmental, moral and intellectual property aspects of developments in plant biotechnology. After 바카라사이트 discussion 바카라사이트 panel retired to produce an eight-page summary of its conclusions without outside intervention.

Tom Blundell, chief executive of BBSRC, congratulated 바카라사이트 panel on its findings and said that 바카라사이트y would be taken into account in BBSRC funding discussions.

Anne Campbell, Labour MP for Cambridge, said that Parliament might learn something from 바카라사이트 non-adversarial methods used.