Science reception hears of optimism over improving public understanding
of science
Speakers at the reception: left to right, Dr Gill Hawksworth, Tracey
Brown and Dr Nicola Gray |
An optimistic forecast about the public's understanding of science was given to invited guest from the worlds of pharmacy, science and industry at a reception held in the Royal Pharmaceutcial Society's headquarters on 2 February.
The message came from Tracey Brown, director of Sense
About Science,
a trust that aims to advance an evidence-based approach to controversial
scientific issues such as biotechnology, genetics, hormones, vaccines
and animal testing. Sense About Science is funded through donations from
professional and learned societies, companies, trusts, research bodies
and individuals.
Ms Brown said that when Sense About Science was established in 2002,
she was confronted by pessimism and despair over the difficulty in communicating
science to the public. “Now we have more cause to be optimistic,” she
said. “Many people are involved in communicating science [including
pharmacists] and if you give them the tools they will do it well.
“Scientists can also learn lessons from observing what happens
to scientists from different disciplines when they are involved in public
debate. The
scientific community can be mutually supporting.”
The 80 people who attended the reception included representatives from
academic institutions, government and funding bodies, the pharmaceutical
industry and professional and scientific organisations. The guests were
welcomed by the Society’s President, Dr Gill Hawksworth, and also
addressed by Dr Nicola Gray, chairman of the Society’s Science
Committee and a member of the voluntary advisory council that supports
Sense About Science’s board of trustees.
Dr Gray said: “The engagement of scientists and the public in honest
debate about difficult issues is crucial — we should be partners,
not adversaries. Pharmacists are frontline scientists who advise the
public about medicines — cutting-edge science in the home, and
not without controversy. We welcome the opportunity to work with Sense
About Science to promote partnership through serious and thoughtful debate
on science issues of the day.”
The reception was jointly hosted by the Society and Sense About Science.
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal