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Scotland is a
hotbed of science, engineering and technology. It leads the world in many
areas and has much to contribute to global health, wealth and wellbeing. So
what role does science have in
shaping what governments do?
We hear much
about evidence-based policy making. How is evidence collected to
inform policy, when and how is it used? Would the electorate feel
comfortable if scientific evidence were the only basis on which policy was
constructed? Would that make the policy more robust than if it were based
on the philosophy of a political party or popular opinion?
If scientific
evidence were used in this way, would that be a threat to democracy, as
those providing the evidence have not been elected and don't have any
responsibilities to the electorate?
Against a
background of talking about some of the
wonderful science that is going on around us, Anne hopes the discussion can
address some of these issues and explore how science, engineering and
technology can make a better Scotland and a better world. |
