Mark Walport, the UK Government's new Chief Scientific Adviser, recently gave a lecture entitled "Science advice in government: the next 5 years-a work in progress". His opening slide was a list of priorities for his new role. First, "Knowledge translated to economic advantage". Second, "Infrastructure resilience". Third, "Underpinning policy with evidence". Fourth, "Science for emergencies". And finally, "Advocacy and leadership for science". Walport has been criticised by some-The Guardian's George Monbiot, for example-for placing primacy on economic growth rather than human welfare. And it is surprising that the word "people" or "citizens" doesn't appear anywhere in his list of priorities.
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