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Intolerance: retain healthy scepticism

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 12:06 authored by Andrew StirlingAndrew Stirling
The UK government's chief scientist, John Beddington, has done much to promote the potential of science to address pressing global imperatives. But in a straight-talking speech last month, he urged his audience of 300 government scientists to be “grossly intolerant” of “pernicious” and “fatuous” “pseudoscience”. In this he included: scepticism of genetic modification technology; “illegitimate” advocacy of environmental precaution in response to unknowns; and suggestions that science is subject to morality. This approach is a rejection not just of irrational denial but of entirely reasonable social scepticism concerning science itself.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Nature

ISSN

0028-0836

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Issue

305

Volume

471

Department affiliated with

  • SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-07-13

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