Hey Science is it really you?
I didn’t recognise you without your white coat
Where are you off to?
Oh hello Society.
Please do excuse me but I’m in a bit of a hurry.
I’m on my way to an international symposium in China.
We are going to discuss the construction of a new particle accelerator!
Another one? Didn’t you set one up a little while ago in Geneva?
The famous experiment in which
the Earth was to disappear down a black hole?
But there wasn’t really a black hole, was there?
Nothing escapes you does it Society?
But you know the black hole was the usual media hype.
And remember, traffic to the physics institute website
broke all records at the time.
Well, they will have been interested too because
it brought a lot of publicity.
I remember reading an interview with that famous physicist, oh what’s-his-name?
You know who I mean, right?
But tell me about this new accelerator, what’s it for exactly?
What’s it for?
It’s used for experiments with neutrons that help us
to understand the nature of certain matter better,
with extremely important theoretical implications and applications.
Are you sure?
Well. It's not exactly...
Black
Or white
It's more grey.
But why am I wasting time explaining things to you?
You don’t listen to me, you don’t understand me
you have never understood me
and you have a zero tolerance for risk
and you don’t want to know about uncertainties!
We’ve known each other for 400 years,
and our relationship isn't getting any better!
At least I have the courage to admit it
you are not really interested in me!
And if you're honest, you are also little bit afraid of me, aren’t you?
Afraid? The reality is I have to perform great
human feats, just to balance the books.
I should like to see you paying for health,
education, social security.
And it is not true that I don’t spend money on research, because, I do!
I know, I know but you must understand
that the money you spend on me is money well spent
I bring innovation, development, jobs, technology.
Listen Society, just as an example.
I’ve helped to reduce the number of human salmonella cases
in the EU in the past 5 years by almost 50%
that’s not nothing you know?
Years! Research! Experiments!
Things are never quick and easy with you, are they Science?
It’s been more than 30 years since you told me
you were about to find a cure for cancer!
And more than 20 since you asked me for money to produce an AIDS vaccine
And where are the results?
Do you think this is easy?
Why don’t we talk about the fact that every time
I come up with an innovative proposal, you block it?
I block it? When?
What about GMOs?
How are we going to feed our animals without access to GM soya?
We cannot produce enough vegetable protein to feed our animals in Europe.
Do you know that today the vast majority of the soya
fed to animals is imported into the EU from the Americas?
And that’s because of you!
Me! What do you mean?
What do I have to do with this?
Well you want to buy chicken, pig and
other meat at the lowest possible price
I understand that, particularly in these times of economic crisis.
But in this global market our farmers
are not competitive when it comes to producing
plant protein for animal feed.
So we import GM soya for our animals
and cannot even grow it here in Europe
because you block all the authorisations to cultivate GM crops in the EU.
Even after we scientists have evaluated them
and said that they are as safe as traditional crops.
But surely there must be another alternative?
You make it sound so
Black
and white.
Oh, it's all so very complicated and difficult to understand,
I've read stuff on the internet, what about...
...that old story of modified rice that not even pests will eat?
Well excuse me for saying so but if the pests won’t eat it why should I?
Well you're the sensible one, does that seem sensible to you?
Try to understand what I’m saying
what if it turns out that GMOs destroy farming?
Is farming to be handed over to multinational companies?
Who is paying for this research anyway?
And what are their motivations?
Think twice about it before you change what I eat.
Science, have you really considered all the implications?
Should it really be up to you to decide?
And how can I have my say?
Have I considered the implications!
Society, please! With all the other things I have to do.
And by the way, you’re wrong,
I’m not the one who decides about GMOs
or any other technology for that matter.
You’re barking up the wrong tree!
Go talk to government if you have concerns
about new technologies but don’t attack the scientific
expert committees whose only concern is to assess whether they are safe!
Our only aim is to protect you, animals and the environment!
Yeah, right, you expect me to believe that?
Have you ever told me that a GMO is not safe?
Seems like all you care about is protecting industry!
There you go again as expected,
when we do not find any risks related
to a new product or new technology,
then you say that science is sold out to industry.
Meanwhile scientists bend over backwards to uphold
the highest standards of independent science,
filling in all kinds of declarations of interest forms
which are published on the internet
our lives are laid out for all to see, and what about you?
What are your interests and who is funding you?
Well it’s obvious, we’re serving the public interest,
why should we need to declare anything?
All we care about is protecting human and animal health and the environment!
Everyone knows that!
You always say that there is no need to worry about innovation, chemicals, drugs...
So, let’s talk about asbestos.
You told me it was the safest material around remember?
Just think, you even had me using it in school buildings,
and then it turned out that it was carcinogenic.
Quite right!. But who discovered that asbestos is carcinogenic?
I did!
Ok, ok but...
Oh, enough already! I’ve been listening to you two arguing for ages!
It sounds like we all have the best intentions at heart,
isn’t there a way we can accept our differences and work together