This is the view of the eminent scientist, Prof Lord Robert Winston, who gave this year's annual AIRMIC lecture on the subject of trust in science.
Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College, London University and director of NHS research and development for Hammersmith Hospital, Winston argued that scientists and engineers had failed to engage the ordinary person in many of their debates, and lack of understanding of science and mathematics lay at the heart of many biased headlines and public misunderstanding of issues.
For instance, headlines screamed about designer babies when the procedure under discussion involved screening one genetic sequence out of 3bn for defects. "You cannot make ethical judgements without understanding the science," said Winston. When the political response was an unwillingness to raise issues that made people uncomfortable, like nuclear power, it resulted in risk-averse regulation of scientific research that inhibited advances.
"If the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority had been around 25 years ago, Mr Patrick Steptoe would never have done in vitro fertilisation, nor would we have the two million people conceived in this way, because the whole thing would have been seen as too risky," said Winston. He stated his team had been asking for two years for approval for a stem cell research project. "What is the risk? I don't think most people object to stem cell research provided we are not doing something unethical."
