Ecotone: Pondering the authority of science Who says we have to listen to scientists? When President Obama vowed in his inaugural address to “restore science to its rightful place,” where exactly was he talking about? The thou-shalts and self-evident truths on which Americans base so many decisions have little to say about consulting sound science. Still, though science rarely plays a significant role in US policies, it garners a tremendous amount of respect. While we’ve come to define rigorous science by the mechanisms used to ensure impartiality – peer review, quantitative and statistical analyses— even the most punctilious researcher must make decisions based on values: what to study, how to study it, how to talk about it. Who has the authority to make these decisions and what exactly is usable science? A recent workshop and new handbook explore these questions.
View the complete post at: http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecology-in-policy/pondering-the-authority-of-science/ Nadine Lymn Director of Public Affairs Ecological Society of America 1990 M Street, NW Suite 700 Washington DC 20036 202.833.8773 ext. 205 202.833.8775 Fax Please consider the environment before printing this email. Thank you.
