October 18, 2014, by Andrew Gibson

Research and values: Professor Steve Rayner

The below video features a keynote speech from Professor Steve Rayner, the James Martin Professor of Science and Civilization at Oxford University’s School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography and Director of the Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, where he also co-directs the Oxford Programme for the Future of Cities and the Oxford Geoengineering Programme.

The talk explores the epistemic cultures of the sciences, social sciences and humanities and the relationship between them. Using the issue of climate change and geoengineering, it highlights the epistemic and corresponding ethical fault line that runs through the social sciences leading to valorization of contrasting modes of inquiry and ideas of what counts as evidence. It also raises the broader question of why and how non-experts in any field choose to give or deny credibility to experts.

What do you think? Please use the comment section below to pick up on any points…

Click image for video

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Posted in Evidence, uncertainty and values