Isaac Newton

Abstract

Scientists and politicians have to work together in two different fields: (a) where a scientific input is required for sensible decision making by government (“science in policy”). (b) government support for science (“policy for science”). The very different background of scientists and of politicians makes cooperation difficult, particularly perhaps because of the very different time horizons of the two partners and the circumstance that, at least in academic life, scientists select their problems, whereas politicians inevitably have to deal with the problems that actually arise. To make the cooperation effective and fruitful, it is essential that the senior scientists involved should enjoy the confidence of the scientific community in general, should be able to convey the scientific knowledge, and especially the scientific uncertainties and doubts, with great lucidity to the politicians concerned, who although highly intelligent will only rarely have a scientific education, and that the scientific staff should be full members of the politician's team, conversant with what is politically feasible and what is not. As regards policy for science, it is important to be aware of the different reasons for public support of science: the cultural, the utilitarian and the educational.