[ASC-list] Cribb in the Canberra Times today

Thu Apr 7 07:36:07 UTC 2011

Hi Susan / All,

On Thu, Apr 07, 2011 at 04:58:22PM +1000, Susan Kirk wrote:
> A Union of Concerned Scientists?  I would donate.  I do already.  I've said
> this before if scientists want to be heard they have to exclude government
> funding.
> 
> I have three words to say to bullied scientists, blow your whistle!

   ... (for those who don't know from experience) it may help to include 
   the other lines of the (imaginary) verse

   blow your whistle
   lose your job
   lose your savings
   lose your career
   lose your partner

I appreciate it doesn't scan completely, but the content is fairly clear.

Perhaps you would also care to enlighten us with your knowledge of how 
commercial sources of funding are better ...

Charlesw

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> > Today's Topics:
> > 
> >    1. Cribb in the Canberra Times today (Niall Byrne)
> >    2. WA: Mildew Mania - we need you! REGISTRATION EXTENDED
> >       (Emma Donnelly)
> > 
> > 
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > 
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2011 01:31:50 +0000
> > From: Niall Byrne <niall at scienceinpublic.com.au>
> > To: "ASC list (asc-list at lists.asc.asn.au)" <asc-list at lists.asc.asn.au>
> > Subject: [ASC-list] Cribb in the Canberra Times today
> > Message-ID:
> > <166E264E92C8CB4E95D73C52CDC47A96315F98E8 at mbx021-e2-nj-2.exch021.domain.local>
> > 
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> > 
> > A terrific op-ed from Julian Cribb in the Canberra Times today which made me
> > think about the IA conference last week. The impact of science on policy is
> > perhaps the biggest issue in science communication in Australia and globally
> > right now. Yet it's one that is probably hard for IA to catalyse given it's a
> > government program.
> > 
> > http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/opinion/editorial/general/give-scientists
> > -the-freedom-to-tell-the-truth-and-then-listen/2126645.aspx?storypage=0
> > 
> > Science has been marginalised by governments for too long and needs a strong
> > national voice.
> > The evidence is mounting that Australian science is once more lost in the dark
> > ages of political neglect and disfavour.
> > To the average Australian that might not seem to matter very much, but the
> > more thoughtful may no doubt reflect on the likely cost to the nation of not
> > understanding our own environment, falling behind other advanced countries and
> > not making national decisions on a sound evidential base...
> > One of the contributing reasons to the long, slow slide into marginality of
> > Australian science is its perpetual inability to speak out clearly, frankly,
> > forcefully and often about the importance of science to the future of
> > Australia and the dangers of ignoring it...
> > ...But when you look at who speaks for Australian science, you find, almost
> > always, they are on the government payroll in one way or another. The
> > academies, the universities, the funding bodies, the science agencies, the
> > Cooperative Research Centres are all beholden to government funding and
> > fearful of its loss should they earn political displeasure by saying the
> > things science often has to say, which are not always pleasing to the
> > political ear. Only the Federation of Scientific and Technological Societies
> > has a relatively independent voice, and it is neither very loud nor
> > forceful...
> > Julian then talks about a potential solution.
> > ________
> > 
> > Niall Byrne
> > 
> > Creative Director
> > Science in Public
> > 
> > 82 Hudsons Road, Spotswood  Vic  3015
> > (PO Box 2076 Spotswood VIC 3015)
> > 03 9398-1416, 03 9078-5398, 0417 131 977
> > 
> > niall at scienceinpublic.com.au<mailto:niall at scienceinpublic.com.au>
> > Twitter scienceinpublic
> > www.scienceinpublic.com.au<http://www.scienceinpublic.com.au/>
> > 
> >
> 
> 
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      "Creativity and innovation are measured not by what is done, 
           but by what could have been done ... but wasn't"

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------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles Willock                                 charlesw at cse.unsw.edu.au
c/- School of Computer Science and Engineering       
University of New South Wales,                  
New South Wales  Australia  2052    http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~charlesw