Sense About Science

Sense About Science

Sense About Science is a United Kingdom independent charitable trust. It was founded in 2002 by the Liberal Democrat peer Lord Taverne, the biologist Professor Dame Bridget Ogilvie and others to promote respect for evidence and good science.

The stated aims of Sense About Science are to work with scientists to ensure that the best available scientific evidence is at the forefront of public discussions about science, and to correct misinformation.

The Trust operates by:
* encouraging and assisting scientists to engage in public debates about their area of expertise
* responding to scientifically inaccurate claims in the media
* helping people contact scientists with appropriate expertise
* preparing briefings about the scientific background to issues of public concern

The Trust maintains EvidenceBase, a database of over 2,000 UK scientists willing to contribute their knowledge to inform public debate. It also runs the Voice of Young Science programme to help early career scientists engage in public debates. Sense About Science hosts an annual lecture and publishes an ad hoc series of reports under the title of "Sense About..." and "Making Sense of…" [http://www.senseaboutscience.org/publications] .

Since its founding, Sense About Science has contributed to UK public debates about such subjects as alternative medicine, detox diets, GM plants, avian influenza, chemicals and health, weather and climate, nuclear waste, the use of peer review and stem cell research.

Sense About Science has 14 Trustees, who meet quarterly, an Advisory Council and a small office staff.

Controversy

Sense about Science has been accused by a number of commentators of being an entryist vehicle for members of political grouping associated with the now defunct Living Marxism magazine, and its successor Spiked online [cite web
url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1102753,00.html
title=Invasion of the entryists
date=December 9th, 2003
author=George Monbiot
publisher=The Guardian] [cite web
url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200208120009
title=The rebels who changed their tune to be pundits
date=August 12th, 2002
author=Nick Cohen
publisher=New Statesman.] The director of Sense about Science Tracey Brown has written for Spiked online, and the Sense About Science website was created by the Spiked online webmaster.

The Science Advisory Board of Sense about Science includes former chairman of the failed building society Northern Rock, Matt Ridley. Matt Ridley rejects the scientific consensus on global warming, and recently endorsed a book on the subject "Cool it" [ [http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/imageviewer.asp?ean=9780307266927&MICTID=28 Barnes & Noble.com - Image Viewer: Cool It, by Bjorn Lomborg, Hardcover ] ] by noted Global Warming Sceptic Bjorn Lomborg. However, Sense about Science has not itself published or endorsed any rejection of man-made global warming.

References

* [http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk Website of Sense About Science]

External links

*cite web
url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1102753,00.html
title=Invasion of the entryists
date=December 9th, 2003
author=George Monbiot
publisher=The Guardian
*cite web
url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200208120009
title=The rebels who changed their tune to be pundits
date=August 12th, 2002
author=Nick Cohen
publisher=New Statesman
* [http://www.gmwatch.org/profile1.asp?PrId=151 Profile on gmwatch.org]
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sense_about_Science Profile on Sourcewatch]
* [http://www.lobbywatch.org/profile1.asp?PrId=151 Profile on Lobbywatch]


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