Practice and pitfalls of science advising

I wrote an article recently on science advising for the Forum on Physics and Society of the American Physical Society. Having been a senior executive and advisor in the criminal justice and the military, they asked for some perspective about how scientists can impact public policy. The opening paragraph is below, followed by a link to the APS web site for the rest of the article. For those of you who are non-scientists, it might give you some insight into how scientists view the world.

Government leaders require high-quality, objective scientific advice on a daily basis. Science advisors have played critical roles in the development of almost every major policy initiative in the last generation. In many cases, scientists have led agencies in the federal government and executed technically-complex programs. Nonetheless, scientists are often underrepresented or ineffective in policy discussions. Scientific principles or ideas are often misrepresented or oversimplified to meet political objectives. Science professionals should understand the importance of their input into the policy and practice of government at all levels. Further, we must understand that successful engagement requires an understanding of politics and communication skills. Finally, the science advisor must combine a healthy skepticism of the limits of science with a passionate advocacy for the advancement of science across all disciplines.

See here for the rest...

For more information on my current work helping police, military and security professionals with science and technology, see www.coptechllc.com.