The first portion of the briefing, which will be led by Dr. Donald Kennedy, Editor-in- Chief of Science, our country's leading science journal, will cover such topics as: What is a scientific theory and how are such theories tested? What constitutes a scientific proof? Is there such a thing as scientific fact? What is the role of probability in science and how do scientists deal with uncertainty? How does science tackle so called "non-linear" changes like global climate change or the loss of some species worldwide, when these changes are unprecedented, enormously complex, and on a global scale?
The second part of the briefing will be led by Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg, President of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (The National Academies comprise the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council.) He will look at the role of scientists in general, and the Academy and other non-governmental scientific bodies in particular, in advising policy-makers, and how these advisory relationships might work most effectively.
The program will include:
Welcome and Introductions--Eric Chivian M.D., Director, Center for Health and the
Global Environment, Harvard Medical School; Co-Founder, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear
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Contact: Emily Huhn
emily_huhn@hms.harvard.edu
617-384-8530
Harvard Medical School
20-Jan-2006