Essence of science not reaching public, say experts

The public’s mistrust of science in spite of significant advances in the field is creating hurdles to help address societal problems, experts warned on Tuesday.

Professor S Japhet, vice-chancellor of Bengaluru Central University, said despite a range of scientific advances over the last decade, inequality continues to rise, which indicates that advances in research are less utilised by policymakers.

“The essence of science is not reaching the public. As a result, people do not know that it can be applied to various situations, to problems ranging from waste management to ecology,” he said.

This ignorance is part of the reason for resistance to vaccines, climate change and stem cell research, which some people believe is against God’s will, explained Dr Binnoy V V, an assistant professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies.

Binoy and Professor Japhet were speaking at a pre-congress seminar, intended to serve as a curtain-raiser for the 43rd Indian Social Science Congress to be held at Central College from January 17 to 23.

For professor V Jagannatha, a retired Isro scientist, this deficit was creating hurdles in the face of national developmental goals.