Research Councils UK (RCUK) is delighted to be sponsoring the debate 'Science
reporting: is it good for you?' on Wednesday 16th September. This eagerly anticipated
debate between Science Minister Lord Drayson and Ben Goldacre, doctor and author
of Bad Science, will focus on what's good and bad about the coverage of science
in this country.
The debate springs from a previous discussion between the two at the World Conference
of Science Journalists in July, where Lord Drayson's praise of the high standard
of science reporting was met with strong opposition. Continuing the debate via Twitter,
Lord Drayson suggested a 'no limits' public debate where controversial topics such
as the media coverage of MMR could be discussed.
All 400 tickets to the debate were booked within 90 minutes. Science Minister
Lord Drayson said: "I'm stunned and delighted about how popular this event has proved
to be. It shows how much people care about how science is put to them. Many people
will never pick up a copy of Science or Nature. Science journalists are there to
convey exciting research in a way that's engaging, clear and accurate. They do a
great job and should be supported, not condemned."
Ben Goldacre said: “I think this issue is really important for a number of reasons,
and I’m delighted to see a politician taking it seriously. The media can mislead
the public on individual issues, like MMR, but they also mislead the public more
insidiously, undermining their understanding of the basics of science, of what it
means for there to be evidence that something is good for you or bad for you, of
how we gather evidence, and of what scientists actually do.”
Further information is available here:
http://www.rigb.org/contentControl?action=displayEvent&id=948.
Notes
Contact:
Chloë Somers
RCUK Press Officer
Tel: 01793 444592
Research Councils UK is the strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research
Councils; they invest annually around £3 billion in research, covering the full
spectrum of academic disciplines from the medical and biological sciences to astronomy,
physics, chemistry and engineering, social sciences, economics, and the arts and
humanities.
The seven UK Research Councils are:
- Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
- Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
- Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
- Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
- Medical Research Council (MRC);
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
- Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC).