Sevenoaks Catalyst Magazine - Science and Society Issue 3 - Lent term 2021 | Page 10

Yes , an educated citizenry should make good political decisions , one would hope .
Nevertheless , America - which is the wealthiest and one of the most educated countries in the world , leads in scientific innovation , and has reaped huge benefits from science - has a significant population that denies science . We see a large swathe of Americans who don ’ t believe in the efficacy of wearing masks in the face of a pandemic that has killed over 140,000 of their fellow citizens . I suppose my question is : why do people still deny science in the face of education and facts ?
It ' s a long-running problem . The United States has a culture that causes some people to see science-based findings and policies in direct conflict with their selfidentification .
What would the role of scientists in politics look like in your perfect world ?
We have had scientists informing and advising politicians for a long time . I think that the best relationship you see is in places where scientists are involved in the leadership of the country , especially in regard to the pandemic . Taiwan , for example , has a vice-president who is an epidemiologist . In Germany , Angela Merkel used to be a quantum chemist . These leaders who appreciate science and understand what it ’ s based on , when scientists show them their evidence , they don ’ t pretend it doesn ’ t exist - they figure out , based on the evidence , what their best choice is . Germany has been one of the leaders in Europe in pandemic control , and Taiwan , which is right next to China , has had incredibly low infection rates . They ’ ve done great . They took their scientists seriously , and in doing so , took care of their citizens .
As well as on politicians ’ end , do you think that scientists and science writers have an obligation to speak out on political topics such as climate change and public health policy ?
Part of the job of a scientist is to do scientific research , but if no one knows about the research , it hasn ’ t served its purpose . So that means sharing your results with other scientists and letting the rest of us know what ’ s going on . So , I do think that ’ s an important part of being a scientist .