Episode 103 - Science vs. Politics: Are They Really Separate?

About this episode

This episode explores the intersection of science and politics, discussing how political influences affect scientific research and communication.

Is science political? Yes, and that's not an inherently a bad thing. In this episode I try to unpack my thinking on why science is political and more specifically where and why political influences enter the picture. From here I explore how an understanding of these influences can improve scientific research and also ruminate on how this affects science communication aimed at two important audiences: politicians and we the people. Science is a human endeavor and is subject to all the foibles of human behavior. It's also an amazing example of what humans are capable of. By understanding how it works and why we should care we can maximize the good it does. Scientists are building giant ‘evidence banks’ to create policies that actually work Why we need a body to oversee how science is used by governments Advising governments about science is essential but difficult. So train people to do it Science-policy advisers shape programmes that solve real-world problems Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries | Nature Human Behaviour Societal Preparedness Insights - Global Listening Project Vetting Scientific Sources - The Open Notebook Science could solve some of…

People in this episode

Host: Bradley van Paridon

Topics covered

• science and politics
• science communication
• policy making
• trust in science
• scientific research

Keywords

• science
• politics
• policy
• trust
• communication
• research
• influence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nature Human Behaviour, The Open Notebook, Global Listening Project

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