How to sell science to the Big Brother generation

By NEW SCIENTIST
Added: Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:00:00 UTC

Thanks to EricTheRed for the link.

Reposted from:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026842.000-how-to-sell-science-to-the-big-brother-generation.html?full=true

He plays the trumpet, loves football and has a well-known fondness for pink hoodies. Next week, University of Oxford mathematician Marcus du Sautoy takes over from Richard Dawkins as Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science. Is he bothered by comparisons with his fearsome predecessor? And what will his message be? Paul Parsons went to find out

What made you apply for the Simonyi chair?

It encapsulates the two things I'm passionate about: discovering new scientific results and communicating them to other people. If you don't communicate your ideas to other people, the ideas don't come alive.

How to you feel about having to fill Richard Dawkins's shoes?

I'm not particularly daunted by it. I would almost say that I'm at the opposite end of the scientific spectrum from him. But I think mathematics is a fantastic choice for this chair because it underlies so many of the other sciences.

Will you be as confrontational as he is?

I certainly intend to defend science but I see this position as more about helping to create connections with society and scientists, to help encourage dialogue, to involve people in doing science and to get people so excited that they want to become scientists. I see it more as an ambassadorial role rather than creating controversy for controversy's sake.

Like Dawkins, you're an atheist. Will you be launching your own assault on religion?

Absolutely not. I think it's important for me to go in a new direction. Also, the joy of being Simonyi professor is that you can choose what you want to put your energy into. For me there are so many things to talk about in science: why it's exciting, entertaining and how it impacts on society. We have to make decisions about important scientific issues, and unless members of society are informed about them they'll be unable to get involved in that debate.

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