Realigning science, society and policy in uncertain times

Abstract

Against a backdrop of rapidly changing social, economic and geopolitical settings and ideologies, the world is facing a wide range of challenges, including in biodiversity, climate, energy, the environment, food, health and water. These can only be addressed by fully harnessing key capacities that science offers. However, there is a crisis of trust in science which affects some sections of society and some policy-makers, impairing the capacity of science to deliver its essential roles. This damaged relationship between science, society and policy has immense health, economic and social consequences and implications for sustainability of the entire planet. Scientists must strive collectively to re-establish trust by society and politicians where it is damaged, and reinforce conviction of science's central importance in underpinning policy. Science's roles must in turn be acknowledged by policies that sustain innovation and freedom to work without political interference or constraints. A well-functioning and trusting relationship between science, society and policy-makers offers a potent means to thwart and mitigate emergent global challenges.

Dangerous liaisons: an online experiment on the role of scientific experts and politicians in ensuring public support for anti-COVID measures

“…As suggested by Stevens [ 49 ], although politicians can present public measures as a result of scientific advice, as if science were an ‘apolitical and indisputable tablet of stone’, this does not increase the legitimacy and trust of the institutions they represent. While in some countries such as Sweden it is expected, and in some cases even legally defined, that scientific experts take on a public role in certain circumstances, it is probable that in most countries the mutual role and boundaries between public decision-makers and scientific experts have never been clearly defined [ 50 ]. Although a more nuanced understanding of the interplay of institutions, norms and social behaviour is needed, especially in the context of a sequence of pandemic waves [ 51 ], our results suggest that public communication by experts and decision-makers can introduce information noise, which could be detrimental to enforce public cooperation and regulation compliance.…”

Health and Gender Inequalities of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Adverse Impacts on Women's Health, Wealth and Social Welfare

“…Throughout the pandemic political leaders have claimed to “follow the science” ( 44 ). The explicit implication of this statement is that science determines a particular policy approach has damaged the relationship between science, society and the development of and implementation of policy ( 45 ). Decision making processes, however, are much more complex as scientific evidence is balanced against, or perhaps alongside, wider political priorities.…”

Re‐imagining Priorities for Chemistry: A Central Science for “Freedom from Fear and Want”

“…Reinforcing the space for chemistry at this crucial intersection of science,society and policy [99] requires simultaneous effort to reorient all three components and chemists must be active in all three.W ithin the discipline itself, chemistry must begin with the education reforms referred to Angewandte Chemie Essays 25618 www.angewandte.org above,e nsuring that learners begin, even at the most basic levels,t or ecognise the connections between the materials they are studying and the contexts in which they occur,a re transformed, used and impact on people and planet. Educators can draw on the growing insights into how to connect science concepts with the real-world context and the nature of pedagogical structures and resources that afford students the agency to learn, [100] using these contexts as away to introduce and give af raming to cross-systems and cross-disciplinary interconnections.C hemists must also engage directly with society.Few,ifany,spokespersons or champions of chemistry have become recognised in the public arena in the way that some other science and technology areas (e.g.a stronomy, biology,c osmology,e ngineering,p hysics) have achieved.…”