Videos

Jun 2018

This talk is co-hosted by the Oxford Martin School and the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, to celebrate their 20th Anniversary

The growth of populism has led to a widening of rights and power of the people to question all elites – those holding leading positions not only in politics, but also in the media, arts and science. It is essential that those working in science and academia facilitate a deeper public understanding of the complexities of evidence. This is particularly acute given the increasing use of rhetoric or unrealistic proposals, including the questioning of scientific evidence, by those wishing to gain and retain popularist power.

People increasingly need access to bodies such as museums which can provide trusted and open information, and when an issue isn’t black and white, to explain why there’s a debate and guide them through the evidence.In the second  of two panels exploring these complex issues, Dr Roger Highfield, Director of External Affairs, Science Museum, Dr Alexander Sturgis, Director, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology  and Professor Paul Smith, Oxford University Museum of Natural History will discuss and debate with the audience on communicating evidence in an era of increasing populism, and the vital role that the arts, sciences and humanities can play together in this process.

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