SCIENCE: DOES IT MATTER?

Prof. Dr.Pieter J.D.Drenth, President All European Academies (ALLEA).

Budapest Science Forum 2003

8-10 Nov. 2003.

Science matters

Many present-day official statements stress the importance of science for our economic and social future, i.o.w.:

Stress the revelance of science

What is relevance of science?

* Relevance of science is a multidimensional concept, referring to diverging goals and concepts.

* Four types of relevance are proposed:

- intrinsic relevance: augmentation of body of knowledge, and educational function

- Instrumental relevance: practical tools and instruments

- Innovative relevance: new knowledge leading to innovative applications

- Contributive relevance: support for decision-making or policy development

Different types of knowledge

* Scientists should not become decision-makers; different roles and responsibilities

* Two types of knowledge should be distinguished:

(1) Solid knowledge which only needs political translation for use in policy decisions

(2) Incomplete, probabilistic and uncertain knowledge, direct extrapolations of which are full of risks

* Precondition for usefulness of all types of scientific knowledge: its independent nature.

Reasons for non-use of science

- Research results are contra-intuitive or contradict stereotypes

- Research repeatedly produces contradictory results

- No or insufficient knowledge available

- Science does not answer policy maker’s real questions

- Lack of willingness to accept research results

- Decision-making is more than pure application of facts and knowledge

Moral responsibility

* Scientists are led by scientific criteria; veracity is their main touchstone; freedom and independence are important conditions

* This does not preclude moral and social responsibility: choice of research subjects, conducting of experiments, application

* Science should take concern and apprehension of the public seriously

* Balance between freedom and responsibility: freedom in constraint