The Geek Manifesto: Why science matters

Mark Henderson, one of Britain's leading science communicators, makes an agenda-setting argument that science matters to all aspects of public life, and issues a rallying call to all geeks to join together in a force our leaders cannot ignore.

Chair: Alice Bell, senior teaching fellow in science and public policy, Imperial College London

Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-an...

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• Category

  Education

[colourmegone]

The naivete' displayed in this lecture is one reason that scientists don't make it into politics. The speaker seems to assume that politicians want policies that are effective and efficient instead of those that serve the interests of their backers and their perceived constituents. Nothing could be further from the truth.

[paul mathew]

your response is a bit naive in itself.....blaming politicians is like yoga for the populace..it calms them..politicians are every bit a part of the society and i believe reflect the condition of a society..blame games achieve nothing...Henderson's talk is a proactive attempt to engage with a real problem in the society.The ideas are valid for most countries.

[alejo060987]

I think that a strong 3rd party should exist out of people with a scientific background, instead of joining the ones that are already lobbied into office...sorry for the long post!

[alejo060987]

I agree with mat0310. It is not about blaming politicians for our current situation. It is about finding practical solutions for our problems. Politicians are just the product of society. And of course living in such politics-centered world (where almost every major change is bound to poltical action), we should support scientific direct participation. Of course throwing some scientist into a den of lions might backfire.....

[colourmegone]

Allow me to remind you of the "election" of G W Bush and the recent elections in Greece where over 50% of the population rejected the policies which will now be implemented under the next government. Mrs Thatcher polled a minority although she ended up with an overwhelming majority in Parliament. These aren't isolated incidents, "modern democracy" was never meant to be rule by the "stinking mob". The US was founded on the idea of rule by the "best men", i.e. those with wealth and property.

[Tressco]

Old School fact framing:

"I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half."

- Jay Gould

New School fact framing:

"I buy scientists, politicians & companies to prove everything I want!"

- Monsanto People

[Paul McMahon]

When the research money is strongly controlled, scientific research itself is strongly controlled. Scientists are allowed to work on only what they can attract funding for. They are usually only funded to work on comfortable and already established things that support the status quo and big business. Ruthless suppression of new and important scientific discoveries has been done by the scientific community itself.