UK government launches public debate on science
Getting the public talking about the science and technology of the future is the goal of a new initiative launched by the UK Government. The sciencehorizons initiative encourages groups of individuals to get together in people's homes, pubs and village halls to discuss how new scientific discoveries could affect their daily lives during the next few decades. Larger events, bringing together scientists and members of the public, are also planned. The project is funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry. 'Over the coming decades, we're going to have some huge ethical debates about science as new discoveries are made and new technologies emerge,' said UK Science and Innovation Minister, Malcolm Wicks. 'We will all need to be part of making informed decisions about how we develop and use scientific and technological advances.' To help members of the public organise and run debates, sciencehorizons has put together four special discussion packs, each of which focuses on a particular theme, for example 'mind and body' or 'people and planet'. The packs set out ideas of how the future could look, based on information from experts in the field. They then explain the science behind the issue and offer ideas for discussion. Groups are asked to note the outcomes of their discussions and enter these on the sciencehorizons website. The results of the programme will be presented to the government in autumn, and they will be used to inform policy setting the direction of research and the regulation of science and technology. 'The exciting new sciencehorizons project will help us learn what people think about the future of science and enable the scientific community to hear and respond to both their hopes and concerns for the future,' commented Martin Earwicker, Director of the National Science Museum and head of the group overseeing the project.
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