Science Lessons for MPs
November 17th, 2008
Via Nature: politicians from the UK Conservative Party will be required to take science lessons. On the one hand, kind of sad that they didn’t learn the basics in grade school. On the other hand, yay!, and when will Canadian parties require the same?
This actually seems really scary. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I’m not sure which is the greater concern: the political bias of the instructors (probably civil service appointees) or the resulting overconfidence of the MPs when dealing with scientific issues.
The article mentions specifically applications of “science” to criminal law. Well, whose science will be applied? Psychology? Sociology? “Economics and Law” ? Very, very different recommendations are likely to emerge from each in many cases.