HOW should scientists prepare for the rough and tumble of politics? I don’t
mean those who get on the stump and run for office. I’m talking about the
increasing number who volunteer to help elected representatives make decisions
where science is involved. Before leaping into the world of sound bites and spin
doctors, perhaps they should pay heed to one cautionary tale.
Ben Santer is a shy climate modeller at the Lawrence Livermore laboratory in
California. He was also one of the lead authors of a key chapter in an
influential 1995 UN report on climate change. Part of his…
