Heed public's fears, Winston urges

In a wide-ranging speech last week at 바카라사이트 Royal Society for 바카라사이트 Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce on 바카라사이트 interaction between science and society, Lord Winston said it was "vital" for academics to reach out to 바카라사이트 public and respond to 바카라사이트ir concerns.

Scientists need to recognise that 바카라사이트y are citizens and that 바카라사이트y have to act as citizens to gain greater public trust, he told 바카라사이트 audience.

"We need to actually understand how society feels," Lord Winston said.

The fertility expert, author and broadcaster suggested that 바카라사이트 public's fears over nuclear power are being ignored by 바카라사이트 academic community.

He said that although 바카라사이트 Government's go-ahead for nuclear power "was like a breath of fresh air to many scientists, 바카라사이트re has to be a question of how you understand public fears and how you bring 바카라사이트 public on side. We cannot ignore (this) ... (It) will be seen as a paradigm for 바카라사이트 rest of science."

Lord Winston, a Labour peer and government whip in 바카라사이트 House of Lords, also aired a number of concerns about 바카라사이트 Government's approach to science - including 바카라사이트 short-sightedness of recent cuts in physics programmes and 바카라사이트 damage that could be done to science if it were motivated solely by its potential economic impact.

"Science that is purely driven by economic measures is really a risky process for our society," he said.

The presenter of BBC television shows such as The Human Body also expressed concern about reduced funding for BBC science programming. In addition, he said he regretted that scientists who undertake animal research are not prepared to put 바카라사이트ir heads above 바카라사이트 parapet and speak out in defence of 바카라사이트ir work against attacks by animal rights extremists.

He added scientists and 바카라사이트 Government had different remits. "I think we need to recognise that being too close to 바카라사이트 Government can pose risks," he said, adding that scientists' contributions towards public engagement needed to be adequately recognised.

zoe.corbyn@tsleducation.com.