The Two Cultures.

For these in the know this is a reference to the seminal book by the celebrated and influential scientist and man of letters baron C.P. Snow he was a polymath. He was the scientific adviser to the Wilson administration in the 1960's. I should as they say declare an interest I went out with his step-daughter Lindsay. Lindsay was the daughter of Neil and Pamela Hansford Johnson. Hansford Johnson was a novels and playwright. The book The Two Cultures was important for a number of reason, but considered the most influential was the emphasis he placed on a serious lack in governments of an understanding of science. These Two Cultures don't speak the same language and as a result successive British governments don't make decisions based on scientific knowledge. We have in the news today a failure by a former administration making a decision about Tamiflu. It has cost the British tax payers unfortunately £500 million in stock pilling this medicine. In the current issue of the British Journal of Medicine they have had an influential group scientists assess is effectiveness and concluded that perhaps half a day may be saved from those who contract flu. So in terms of cost benefit analysis this is not a good use of public money. Would that money be better spent on for example employing more nurses?
As a result of a Freedom of Information request by a national newspaper it was recently disclosed that no current member of the Cabinet has a science degree. No wonder we make such crazy decisions about science if there is such a dearth of scientists. In my opinion there should be a minimum of two scientists in any future Cabinet.