Photo Credit: ©iStock.com/Cimmerian

In a recent opinion story for AGU’s Eos magazine, Associate Executive Director and Senior Policy Fellow at the American Meteorological Society William Hooke reflects on the current status of the relationship between science and society:

“Stresses over the past decade or so have frayed the fabric of the social contract between scientists and society. The complexity and costs of science have been growing … Society has asked scientists for more help, even as research budgets have remained relatively constant. Relations have been strained on both sides.”

Hooke considers how scientists can improve this frayed relationship for the long-term benefit of both society and science.

“Let’s show more gratitude for the support the public and public leaders have provided to date. Let’s thread ourselves through the whole of society, where the pressing problems are close at hand, and collaborate in their practical solution versus studying the problems at some distance and earning the derisive ivory-tower label.”

Read the full story on Eos.org.

– Mary Catherine Adams is a public information specialist at AGU and is co-coordinator of AGU’s Sharing Science program.