"Science is always going to be viewed through the lens of people through their values, assumptions, biases, and politics," said Shobita Parthasarathy. But, she said, "bias is natural....It's not a bad thing to have bias."
It's necessary for scientists to recognize and respond to those biases, especially when they engage in public debates. Parthasarathy explained, "Scientists are often advocates. The problem arises when scientists are not reflective about the fact that they are being advocates, but rather that their authority to participate in the public debate is solely because they are scientists. That's simply not the case."
Listen to the BBC World Analysis episode.
