Making science public: The science and silence conundrum

The issue of science and advocacy is a complex topic and has led to heated discussions amongst scientists, science communicators and commentators of different persuasions, especially this year it seems. There was first a flurry of debate provoked, in July this year, by an article written by Tamsin Edwards who argued that climate scientists should …

Tools for thinking about an increasingly complex world

A few weeks ago I had to write a seminar talk about epigenetics in the media. In the course of investigating the historical background to that emerging discipline, I looked at Conrad Hal Waddington’s work on embryology and development and his creation of the metaphor ‘epigenetic landscape’. But this is not what this blog post …

Maybe, Minister: Can politics and science ever speak the same language?

This blog post by Professor Philip Moriarty (member of the MakingSciPub network of Honorary Associates) was first published in PhysicsFocus on 5 December, 2013. Phil and Dr Clare Burrage from Physics and Astronomy have been spending the week at Westminster. This is Phil’s story: Along with 35 other scientists (including my colleague Clare Burrage here …

Is Asda right about mental health?

This is a guest post by Greg Hollin, doctoral researcher at the Institute for Science and Society, University of Nottingham. The obvious answer to the question above is ‘no’; a finer example of Betteridge’s Law of Headlines is not easily found.  The decision by Asda – who sold a ‘mental patient fancy dress costume’ complete with …

The ‘Making Science Public’ blog: What is it for?

Our ‘Making Science Public’ blog puzzles some readers, and perhaps rightly so. One blogger in particular pointed out recently that he found what we are doing ‘confusing’. This confusion emerged in particular in the context of us posting some guest-posts on climate science and climate politics (and climate scepticism) and also in the context of …

Making Science Public: A one-year anthology of blog posts

In spring 2012 we began work on a five-year research programme funded by the Leverhulme Trust entitled ‘Making Science Public: Challenges and Opportunities’ (2012-2017).  The programme deals with all aspects of ‘making science public’, but in particular with controversies around science, politics, publics and participation. As part of the programme, we began writing a blog …