487 research outputs found
Language, Power and Public Engagement
In the early twenty-first century we have seen a shift in science communication from explaining science to the public to āengagingā the public in discussions and debate. In this chapter, I will argue that moving to dialogue and public engagement has to be understood as a shift in power, not just in communication. Drawing on my recent research comparing the discourses and vocabulary within public and expert discussions of science and technology in the UK over the past ten years, I describe how key features of the public vocabulary work to undermine the power of public perspectives, making them appear non-rational, emotional, and easily influenced. At the same time rhetorical devices within the expert discussions have the effect of adding power to the scientific viewpoints and framing public discussions in a way that gives the public little choice but to support the scientific narrative of progress being presented to them
Multi Scale EthicsāWhy We Need to Consider the Ethics of AI in Healthcare at Different Scales
Many researchers have documented how AI and data driven technologies have the potential to have profound effects on our livesāin ways that make these technologies stand out from those that went before. Around the world, we are seeing a significant growth in interest and investment in AI in healthcare. This has been coupled with rising concerns about the ethical implications of these technologies and an array of ethical guidelines for the use of AI and data in healthcare has arisen. Nevertheless, the question of if and how AI and data technologies can be ethical remains open to debate. This paper aims to contribute to this debate by considering the wide range of implications that have been attributed to these technologies and asking whether current ethical guidelines take these factors into account. In particular, the paper argues that whileĀ current ethics guidelines for AI in healthcare effectively account for the four key issues identified in the ethics literature (transparency; fairness; responsibility and privacy), they have largely neglected wider issues relating to the way in which these technologies shape institutional and social arrangements. This, IĀ argue, has given current ethics guidelines a strong focus on evaluating the impact of these technologies on the individual, while not accounting for the powerful social shaping effects of these technologies. To address this, the paper proposes a Multiscale Ethics Framework, which aims to help technology developers and ethical evaluations to consider the wider implications of these technologies
Citizen science and Responsible Research and Innovation
Citizen science, the active participation of the public in scientific research projects, is a rapidly expanding field in open science and open innovation. It provides an integrated model of public knowledge production and engagement with science. As a growing worldwide phenomenon, it is invigorated by evolving new technologies that connect people easily and effectively with the scientific community. Catalysed by citizensā wishes to be actively involved in scientific processes, as a result of recent societal trends, it also offers contributions to the rise in tertiary education. In addition, citizen science provides a valuable tool for citizens to play a more active role in sustainable development.
This book identifies and explains the role of citizen science within innovation in science and society, and as a vibrant and productive science-policy interface. The scope of this volume is global, geared towards identifying solutions and lessons to be applied across science, practice and policy. The chapters consider the role of citizen science in the context of the wider agenda of open science and open innovation, and discuss progress towards responsible research and innovation, two of the most critical aspects of science today
Prospects for the measurement of the electron electric dipole moment using YbF
We discuss an experiment underway at Imperial College London to measure the
permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) of the electron using a molecular beam
of YbF. We describe the measurement method, which uses a combination of laser
and radiofrequency resonance techniques to detect the spin precession of the
YbF molecule in a strong electric field. We pay particular attention to the
analysis scheme and explore some of the possible systematic effects which might
mimic the EDM signal. Finally, we describe technical improvements which should
increase the sensitivity by more than an order of magnitude over the current
experimental limit.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure
Public Trust, Deliberative Engagement and Health Data Projects: Beyond Legal Provisions
In England, a new scheme for collating and sharing General Practitionersā data has faced resistance from various quarters and has been deferred twice. While insufficient communication and ambiguous safeguards explain the widespread dissatisfaction expressed by the public and experts, we argue how dwindling public trust can be the most damaging variable in this picture - with implications not only for this scheme, but for any future project that aims to mobilise health data for medical research and innovation. We also highlight the indispensability of deliberative public engagement on the values being prioritised in health data initiatives, the significance of securing social license in addition to legal assurances, and the lessons in it of global pertinence
Suzbijanje geografskog Ŕirenja zaraze: kuga u Italiji od 1347.-1851.
After the establishment of the first quarantine station in the Republic of Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik) in 1377, the states and principalities of Italy developed a sophisticated system of defensive quarantine in an attempt to protect themselves from the ravages of plague. Using largely unknown and unseen historical maps, this paper reconstructs the extent and operation of the system used. It is shown that a cordon sanitaire existed around the coast of Italy for several centuries, consisting of three elements: (i) an outer defensive ring of armed sailing boats in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, (ii) a middle coastal ring of forts and observation towers, and (iii) an inner defensive ring of land-based cavalry. The principles established, although not especially successful at the time against a disease of (then) unknown aetiology, are still used today in attempts to control the spread of infections of animal and human populations.Nakon uspostave prvoga lazareta u DubrovaÄkoj Republici 1377., talijanske državice i kneževine razradile su sustav karantena kako bi se zaÅ”titile od razarajuÄega djelovanja kuge. OslanjajuÄi se mahom na dosad nepoznate povijesne karte, u ovome se Älanku rekonstruira kako je i u kojem razmjeru djelovao sustav zaÅ”tite. Duž talijanske obale stoljeÄima je postojao sanitarni kordon, a sastojao se od tri dijela: (i) vanjski pojas sastavljen od naoružanih jedrenjaka na Sredozemnom i Jadranskome moru, (ii) srednji obrambeni pojas sastavljen od utvrda i promatraÄnica te (iii) unutarnji obrambeni pojas na kopnu sastavljen od konjice. Premda ovaj sustav svojevremeno i nije bio pretjerano uspjeÅ”an u zaÅ”titi od bolesti (tada) nepoznate etiologije, njegova se naÄela joÅ” uvijek rabe za sprjeÄavanje Å”irenja bolesti meÄu ljudima i životinjama
Beyond academia ā interrogating research impact in the Research Excellence Framework
Big changes to the way in which research funding is allocated to UK universities were brought
about in the Research Excellence Framework (REF), overseen by the Higher Education
Funding Council, England. Replacing the earlier Research Assessment Exercise, the purpose of
the REF was to assess the quality and reach of research in UK universities ā and allocate
funding accordingly. For the first time, this included an assessment of research āimpactā,
accounting for 20% of the funding allocation. In this article we use a text mining technique to
investigate the interpretations of impact put forward via impact case studies in the REF process.
We find that institutions have developed a diverse interpretation of impact, ranging from
commercial applications to public and cultural engagement activities. These interpretations of
impact vary from discipline to discipline and between institutions, with more broad-based
institutions depicting a greater variety of impacts. Comparing the interpretations with the score
given by REF, we found no evidence of one particular interpretation being more highly rewarded
than another. Importantly, we also found a positive correlation between impact score and
[overall research] quality score, suggesting that impact is not being achieved at the expense of
research excellence
Economic Inequality and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy: the cases of the United Kingdom and South Africa
There is growing evidence that technology-driven economic growth has a signficant role to play in growing inequality in industrialised countries. Examining innovation policies in South Africa (the G20 Country with the highest levels of inequality) and the UK (inequality at the G20 average), we ask whether the role of innovation in driving inequality is being addressed in STI policy, what measures might be neglected, and why innovation and distribution sensitive policies take the form they do. We find that the distributional consequences of innovation do receive attention in innovation policies in the two countries, albeit in different (and sometimes suprising) ways. However, the approaches taken are limited to a focus on the āfirmā as the model for technology transfer, with little evidence of moves to share assets. These differences and oversights, we argue, are the result of particular sociotechnical imaginaries shaping the role of science and innovation in national life
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