The trend against Experts and a public loss of trust in science have recently made headlines. For example, they translated as tweets questioning man-made climate change by the current US president. Or statements such as ‘I think that the people of this country have had enough of experts’ by British politician Michael Gove during the Brexit campaign. But is such a shift in public attitudes towards science actually taking place? And if so, who exactly has lost trust in whom? In this opinion piece, the results of three national surveys on public perception and trust in science from Germany, Sweden and Switzerland are outlined and give us some answers. It makes for some fascinating reading! Read more [...]
The ongoing opposition between the scientific community and science publishers is evolving. The latter have tarnished their reputation on the count of greed and inability to give back to the community. Now, however, grassroots innovators and legacy publishers have started to develop tech-centric solutions to better serve the community. These could soon make a noticeable difference to the scientific process itself and bring tangible benefits to scientists. Time will tell whether the tide will turn and trust between the protagonists will return. Read more [...]
This opinion piece by Ann Cahill, president of the International Press Association Brussels, critiques the public’s ability to hold decision-makers to account via media. The assessment is that the system has broken down, the old world has disappeared giving rise to a deep and unbridgeable divide between the professionals and the citizens, with vested interests manipulating a political class fed on buzz-words, the latest fad, or their own greed for power or wealth. Read more [...]
Nanotechologies are the perfect case study to identify lobbying forces at work in the regulatory process in Brussels. Compulsory labelling or the implementation of a register for products containing nanotech components have been at the centre of the debate spreading over an inordinately long time. But such decisions will only come at the end of a protracted debate between the European Commission, industry, consumer representatives and environment protection organisations. In the end, evidence-base and the precautionary principle may not be the base for political decisions at the EU level. Read more [...]
Successfully gaining trust in complex situations where prospects are uncertain may require calling upon risk analysis to help to put things in perspective. In this interview, risk assessment guru Ortwin Renn from the University of Stuttgart discusses facts and facets of coping with uncertain outcomes and how effective risk communication strategies can help restore public trust in many areas of life. Read more [...]
The positive perception of the public towards science is dictated by its altruistic pursuit of the common good—unlike politics and economics. However, to demonstrate its societal utility, science must point to compliance with expectations from economy and politics. Mastering the interplay between science, politics and economics is a delicate balancing act. And it is one of the major challenges in the way science portrays itself to the public. Particularly in the context where science has increasingly tied this self-representation to economic performance and made its complex processes appear trivial to garner public acceptance. Read more [...]
Trust is one of those things that happen between people and between people and institutions that only gets noticed when it is in danger of being eroded. So what is the state of trust in science and scientists across Europe? There is little evidence of erosion of trust in science. One might even argue that the public’s relation to science and scientists is entering a new phase: no longer one of trust, but one of public confidence. Read more [...]
European science conversations by the community, for the community
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EuroScientist journal 