Motivating Europe to embrace the culture

of science

Professor Anne Glover, CBE

Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the European Commission

Let’s imagine for a momentEurope without

science and technology

No ancient Greek culture

www.geschichtsforum.de

No ancient Roman culture

No renaissance

www.oebv.at

No enlightenment

No industrial revolution

No 20th Century

E = m·c2

No 21st Century

Science is culture

It’s part of our European heritage

But:

Source: Eurobarometer, Special Edition 340 “Science and Technology” (2010)

Public support for science is decreasing

“Science makes our ways of life change too fast”

“Because of their knowledge, scientists have a power that makes them dangerous”

“We depend too much on science and not enough on faith”

Why are people in Europe getting sceptical about science

and new technologies?• The world has become much more complex• The pace of technological change has

increased

• No proper information about the opportunities vis-à-vis the risks

So what is needed?

1) TALK

2) TALK

3) TALK

If you want this You need this

If you want this You need this

If you want this You need this

The Phone House

And if we want to feed those…

….we are not going to make it with organic

farming alone

bio.davidson.edu

Science festivals have a key role to play in engaging with people about science and the opportunities of new technologies

So once this meeting is over, get out on the streets!