BBC Horizon 2011: 1/7 Science Under Attack

Original Broadcast January 24 2011
Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse examines why science appears to be under attack, and why public trust in key scientific theories has been eroded - from the theory that man-made climate change is warming our planet, to the safety of GM food, or that HIV causes AIDS.

He interviews scientists and campaigners from both sides of the climate change debate, and travels to New York to meet Tony, who has HIV but doesn't believe that that the virus is responsible for AIDS.

This is a passionate defence of the importance of scientific evidence and the power of experiment, and a look at what scientists themselves need to do to earn trust in controversial areas of science in the 21st century.

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Category:

Science & Technology

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• bbc horizonbbc horizon

[lebannerfan65]

Being brainwashed by corporations and religious nutjobs in control of your entire country. Good job, America! Liberty at last!

[PickDaCoolMan]

I think the problem lies with how non-scientists view scientists.

They see us as one group, one body, where the mistakes of one were made by everyone.

They use terms like "science says..", when really one paper, that has yet to be submitted for peer review has present evidence that would show a correlation between A and B.

Maybe we should start, instead of using the term "science", use the term "scientific method" to appear more like we are following rules rather than an organisation.

/6char

[demonhunter5110]

@PickDaCoolMan Thank you. Finally someone who explains it. People use that term like its an absolute truth applying to all scientists and the few that challenge the norm get ridiculed as nuts. People need to understand how scientists get their funding. How they do studies according to the money givers. When independent studies come out people just brush it off. And most of those are not government funded so the bias is not going to be there nearly as much.

[sidvidkid]

The scientific community needs to reply to all the lies, politics and spin proactively and with the support of the public. How about coming up with a new peer review system funded by donations from the public, with a written constitution and elected governers SWORN to uphold the scientific method at the cost of their personal wealth if they allow themeselves to be corrupted.

Make it immune to influence and i for one would donate on an annual basis.

Science is dying, whats the alternative?

[sidvidkid]

I always get very nervous watching anything "produced" by the beeb.

Sure enough, after only 2 minutes the first lie - "science is under attack".

Science is not under any attack, political spin and ideology MASQUERADING as science is under attack, and rightly so.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.

BBC, stop lying and learn from your mistakes you ideologically driven morons. The world is switching off, you have sold your good name for buttons.

[climatereview]

This doco by the President of the Royal Society - the historical gold standard of bipartisan scientific debate - is sadly saddening.

This is a very poor PR exercise to vindicate the shambles that is the CRU and their creation of a "hockey stick" graph out of 2 completely unconnected datasets to prove Global Warming.

The Royal Society was once intellectual; scientists playing politics have ruined its objectivity. Its reputation is tarnished.

Read the real story here: "Climategate Unveiled"

[FriendsOfNone]

@RonPaul2012vote123 They don't reflect heat, they absorb radiation and re-emit it in all directions.

[FriendsOfNone]

@aethanum Yeah thats not the point. The Earth will be fine but humanity won't unless we find sustainable ways of living.

[RonPaul2012vote123]

If green house gases reflected heat to keep it in the earth. then the sunlight would be reflected and it be obvious if this was happening as it would get much colder.

Use your own mind. look up both sides. form your own opionon dont let people tell u what u think of something..

[DebateMeTheists]

Who controls power who control money. Not anyone of a scientific background. Give power to science. Use the scientific method to govern our lives. that is the answer.

[aethanum]

Try to modify the climate? Come on, it's a waste of money. We're no thread to Earth, it's been through many worse.

[xxwaterboy1xx]

@parlezuml Ever hear of MSNBC you moron? That sewer pipe staunchly left wing.