Why science needs progressive voices more than ever
By Alice Bell,
The Guardian
| 07. 06. 2016
Brexit has thrown British science into a mess. During this period of political upheaval, it might be tempting to duck the challenge of picking sides, and instead play the card of scientific neutrality. But ignoring the politics behind the EU referendum result – and those at work in how we organise, run and fund research – will mean that the science community aligns itself with more powerful political interests.
It might be hard to hear (and it doesn’t apply to all researchers) but the way we do modern science and engineering sits at the heart of some of the inequalities that underline the divisions behind Brexit.
There has been a lot of discussion recently about “post-truth” politics, alongside concern about swathes of the public turning against experts. A lot of this relates to people talking about economics – or spuriously adopting the trappings of expertise. When people say they hate experts they don’t necessary mean natural scientists who - unless there has been a massive shift in public attitudes recently - remain popular and trusted by...
Related Articles
By Courtney Withers and Daryna Zadvirna, ABC News | 12.03.2025
Same-sex couples, single people, transgender and intersex West Australians will be able to access assisted reproductive technology (ART) and surrogacy, almost a decade after reforms were first promised.
The landmark legislation, which removes the requirement for people to demonstrate medical...
By Rachel Hall, The Guardian | 11.20.2025
Couples are needlessly going through IVF because male infertility is under-researched, with the NHS too often failing to diagnose treatable causes, leading experts have said.
Poor understanding among GPs and a lack of specialists and NHS testing means male infertility...
By Lars Cornelissen, The Conversation | 11.28.2025
Prime Minister Keir Starmer thinks that racism is returning to British society. He has accused Nigel Farage’s Reform UK of sowing “toxic division” with its “racist rhetoric”.
Starmer’s comments follow a trend that has seen senior Labour party officials portray...
By Grace Won, KQED [with CGS' Katie Hasson] | 12.02.2025
In the U.S., it’s illegal to edit genes in human embryos with the intention of creating a genetically engineered baby. But according to the Wall Street Journal, Bay Area startups are focused on just that. It wouldn’t be the first...
