In a world reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, the role of science has been brought into sharp focus. Chief scientific advisors, epidemiologists and infectious disease experts have become household names around the world; all hopes pinned on pioneers of modern medicine to provide the escape route: a vaccine. We are guzzling up information with newfound gusto, hungry for the facts of science over the disorientation of hearsay, rumor and rhetoric.
Yet, this spotlight on science is more an anomaly than a normality in the wider context. Society still isn’t embracing the full potential of science. Opportunities built on the foundations of scientific understanding to advance humanity are being missed.
Unlike questions raised over policies, laws, and opinion, science only ever speaks in evidence and data. Used well it can cut through the minefield of opinions and lay the groundwork for forward-thinking decisions. More urgently than ever, it’s time for decision-makers