Discussions around science and technology can become controversial, such as public conversations around climate science or gene-editing tools. Polarizing informationThe consequences of allowing issues in science and technology to be so polarized that we don’t talk about them include economic impacts, Canada falling behind in applied and basic scientific research and responsible technology development. We need to have direct conversations about scientific research, progress, experts and expertise, and new technologies that may become critically important to society in the future. For instance, if we ask “do you trust scientists,” do you think about scientists generally or are you thinking of a specific scientist? Trust is critical to the advancement of science itself and science in the advancement of society.
