Issues: Who controls science and technology?

Who controls science and technology?

SGR produces a range of resources on the issue of 'Who controls science and technology?' This includes the power of vested interests (especially the military and private corporations), openness and democracy in science, and public engagement and participation. Two of our main projects focus on military influence on science and technology, and corporate influence on science and technology.

From Militarism to Sustainability

Campaigning for ethical engineering and science in the UK

A chapter, written by Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, in a new book entitled Peace Engineering: When personal values and engineering careers converge

1 September 2013
 

The Big Bang Fair: A distorted view of the value of science

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, argues that the UK's leading science and engineering fair for young people - which this year runs from 14 to 17 March - is distorted by the prominent involvement of arms corporations,  oil companies and other controversial sponsors.

Article published by the New Left Project, 14 March 2013
 

Challenging corporate influence within science communication

Dr Alice Bell argues that corporate sponsorship of science communication has gone too far, and announces a new campaign to challenge it.

Article from SGR Newsletter no. 41, autumn 2012 (published online: 2 November 2012)
 

The decline of UK military R&D

Latest official statistics show that UK government spending on military research and development has fallen considerably over the last ten years – something that SGR has been calling for. Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, assesses the significance of the changes.

Article from SGR Newsletter 41, autumn 2012 (published online: 22 October 2012)
 

Military-university collaborations – an update on the UK situation

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, reviews the latest developments in military involvement at UK universities.

19 September 2012
 

UK military R&D: changing times

Presentation by Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, at INES/IPB side event at the Preparation Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Vienna

30 April 2012

 

Science and technology: when does use become misuse?

Science and technology have contributed to huge changes in human society, bringing many benefits, but also helping to cause global scale problems. Using a series of examples from the past century or so, this presentation examines the balance of costs and benefits, and argues that the role of science and technology in society needs to change, if we are not to be overhwhelmed by the problems we now face.

Presentation by Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, at the What is science for? teachers' conference, Widnes, Cheshire, UK

25 February 2012
 

Science and the corporate university in Britain

Article by Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, published as part of the debate on 'Capitalism and the University' on the openDemocracy website.

16 December 2011
 

Emerging technologies and risk: the social, cultural and political dimensions (Dec 2011)

Dr Bronislaw Szerszynski, Lancaster University, argues that when it comes to new technologies, technical risk assessment is not enough.

Article from SGR Newsletter no. 40, autumn 2011 (published online 6 December 2011)
 

European security research – it is time for change

Martina Weitsch, QCEA, shows how arms companies – including those from Israel – have obtained public EU research funds, despite military research being specifically excluded from the formal R&D framework.

Article from SGR Newsletter no. 40, autumn 2011 (published online 6 December 2011)