"Follow the science"

A thread about science and policy. 1/N

Who am I to opine about this? I'm a scientist (physics degree). I have a masters degree in science and technology policy. I am also a policy-maker who has spent long hours pouring over scientific risk assessments. 2/N

Summary: it isn't that simple. 3/N

Scientific advice to policymakers is rarely if ever of the form "Do X. It's a no-brainer." I have never received such scientific advice in more than 20 years of work as a policy-maker. 4/N

Rather, scientific advice is generally measured and balanced, highlighting scientific uncertainties and presenting costs and benefits, advantages and disadvantages of different options. 5/N

Moreover, scientific advice almost invariably (implicitly or explicitly) leaves room for value judgements, e.g. because different options have various distributional consequences that are not amenable to purely objective arbitration. 6/N

Scientific advice therefore does not and cannot DETERMINE policy choices, only inform them. It remains for policy makers and - ultimately in a democracy - for elected representatives to make policy choices. 7/N

To conclude, anyone attempting to exonerate politicians (in any country) of responsibility on the grounds that they"just followed the science" wither doesn't understand how scientific advice works or is engaging in political dirty tricks. 8/N

Stop it and hold politicians accountable forntheir decisions. Don't try to shift the responsibility nor the blame on scientific advisors. 9/9 [ENDS]

@DPJHodges