Editor's Summary
22 November 2007
Going public
Melissa Leach has a message for scientists and science policy makers frustrated by the public's reluctance to accept the 'party line'. In rejecting advice on the safety of the MMR vaccine, for instance, members of the British public were making judgments based on their own knowledge and experience. Instead of condemning public antipathy as ill-informed or perverse, science advocates need to appreciate the perspectives that shape public perceptions of science- and health-related matters, and need to adapt their arguments accordingly.
Essay: Accommodating dissent
Providing cures for health problems isn't enough, if people's personal or cultural beliefs clash with the scientific approach. Policy-makers must recognize and engage with these objections.
Melissa Leach
doi:10.1038/450483a