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Where is everyone? Public science consultations are falling flat
Technological advances have a greater impact on society than many people realise. How do we get citizens to participate?
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There is more we can do to improve participation in public science discourses, says the writer.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PEXELS
Andy Tay
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I took part in two public science consultations recently. What surprised me was the lower-than-expected turnout. It came to the point where I felt sorry for the facilitators because of the long silences, and I ended up “dominating” the discussion.
This incident worries me because I expect more members of our society to be interested in science discourses as they directly affect our lives.
