hen the pandemic began, some scientists thought this could be the
turning point for the “we’ve had enough of experts” rhetoric, which
encourages people who know somewhere between nothing and very little
to realise that on certain matters their opinion drawn out of the papier-mâché of a
beermat did not have the same value as that of people who had very specific focus on
specific subjects they have spent a lot of time researching specifically. Shortly after the
government briefings began, with fastidiously scripted rhetoric, it seemed to become
apparent that THE science may be a fall guy.
Politicians spread word that they were very specifically following a singular science,
should anything not be as it should be
it would be due to the diligence with
which they followed THE science.
When dealing with a new virus it
seemed unlikely that there was only
one route and only one right way
of thinking. This was time for the
retort, “I think you’ll find it is more
complicated than that” – a rejoinder
that is generally useful with the rare
occasion of opinions such as “I don’t
like custard” or “this scarf is itchy”
(even now I am realising that reasons
for itchiness may be from flea to
allergy and reasons for custard dislike
may be Freudian. It’s complex).
Philip Ball is a science writer
always worth paying attention to, his
work has covered everything from
music to molecules to physicists’ cognitive dissonance during the Third Reich. His latest
documentary is Led by the Science, a look at the effect of scientific advice on the policy
of governments. It started with an audio collage of government ministers repeating
exactly the same phrases built around “taking the right steps at the right times” before
going straight into Paul Nurse of the Crick Institute saying, “the simulations didn’t
work. We weren’t well prepared and we did nothing about it.” The UK has some of
the finest minds in infectious disease research and it has the NHS, but as Ball states,
somehow we ended up with the second highest per capita death rate in the world. This
was not a documentary that wanted to play the blame game, it looked ahead and asked,
is the mechanism for feeding scientific advice into government policy fit for purpose?
The story of government science advisers starts with Churchill in the Second World
War, a position that became official with the Wilson government’s appointment of Solly
Zuckerman in the 1960s.
In 1990, John Selwyn Gummer fed his daughter Cordelia some beef during the early
part of the BSE crisis, while assuring the journalists that the best scientific advice of the
time stated that it was best to feed your children a burger by a five-bar gate and while
a crowd watched. This advice proved premature (the problem was the beef, not the
gate) and led to an inquiry, one of the conclusions of which was that “Science advice to
government needs to be independent and transparent.”
The documentary dealt with many issues – the ideology of herd immunity, cognitive
biases on Covid-19 being “really just flu”, sluggishness on testing and a slowness
on lockdown due to fears of “lockdown fatigue”. One of the most uncomfortable
possibilities is that, had the lockdown started a week earlier, 30,000 people may
not have died due to Covid-19. There are also worries that the independence and
transparency has not been what it should have been. The uneasiness of unbiased
scientific advice was brought awkwardly to light when attempting to deal with Dominic
Cummings’ lengthy lockdown road trip and out-for-a-spin eye test briefing. As Ball
concludes, the most important outcome of any investigation into the relationship
between government and science is what we can learn from it in terms of trust, in
terms of reliability and in terms of ensuring lives are not lost unnecessarily.Led by the Science is on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
@robininceRADIO
Trust exercise
We’re following the science. But perhaps it’s not always
fit for human consumption, says Robin InceAlthough some aspects of Only Fools and
Horses, voted Britain’s favourite ever sitcom,
have not aged brilliantly in the eyes of a more
enlightened audience, the picture it painted
of an inclusive, multicultural working-class
community was a positive one.
“The show explored a lot of people’s
predicaments. As well as being a series of
very good jokes and stories there was a lot of
pathos too,” he says. “John Sullivan talked about
difficult stuff and made you smile. Boycie and
Marlene’s inability to produce a child became a
long-running joke but it made you think about
a problem for an awful lot of people.”
And now in 2020 we’re awash with a fresh
wave of woe. Challis has had to postpone his
one-man tour and his traditional stint in
panto has been cancelled. This Christmas he
should have been setting sail to play Captain
Hook in Portsmouth.
“It’s tragic. All those people out of work,
not just the actors, the technicians, cleaners,
box office staff,” he says. “That part of our life
has changed so much and it’s such a shame,
because people can go and have a great night’s
entertainment. Theatre is a great release.”
Especially panto, where audiences can
exorcise inner demons by booing at the baddie.
“That’s right. Hopefully we’ll be back next
year. I’ll be given a hard time wherever I go.”Boycie in Belgrade is on DVD and Blu-ray
from September 4, with signed copies
available at boycieinbelgrade.com
Interview: Steven MacKenzie
@stevenmackenzieGot beef
Gummer used his
daughter to show the
advice was solid but
Cordelia wasn’t bitingW
Image:PA Images / Alamy Stock PhotoFROM 24 AUGUST 2020 BIGISSUE.COM | 35henthepandemicbegan,somescientiststhoughtthiscouldbethe
turningpointforthe“we’vehadenoughofexperts”rhetoric, which
encourages people who know somewhere between nothing and very little
to realise that on certain matters their opinion drawn out of the papier-mâché of a
beermat did not have the same value as that of people who had very specific focus on
specific subjects they have spent a lot of time researching specifically. Shortly after the
government briefings began, with fastidiously scripted rhetoric, it seemed to become
apparent that THE science may be a fall guy.
Politicians spread word that they were very specifically following a singular science,
should anything not be as it should be
it would be due to the diligence with
which they followed THE science.
When dealing with a new virus it
seemed unlikely that there was only
onerouteandonlyonerightway
ofthinking.Thiswastimeforthe
retort,“Ithinkyou’llfinditismore
complicated thanthat”–arejoinder
thatisgenerallyusefulwiththerare
occasionofopinionssuchas“Idon’t
like custard”or“thisscarfisitchy”
(even nowIamrealisingthatreasons
foritchinessmaybefromfleato
allergyandreasonsforcustard dislike
maybeFreudian.It’scomplex).
PhilipBallisasciencewriter
alwaysworthpayingattentionto,his
workhascovered everythingfrom
musictomoleculestophysicists’cognitive dissonance duringtheThird Reich.Hislatest
documentaryisLedbytheScience,alookattheeffectofscientificadviceonthepolicy
ofgovernments. Itstartedwithanaudiocollageofgovernmentministersrepeating
exactlythesamephrasesbuiltaround“takingtherightstepsattherighttimes”before
goingstraightintoPaulNurseoftheCrickInstitutesaying,“thesimulationsdidn’t
work.Weweren’twellpreparedandwedidnothingaboutit.” TheUKhassomeof
thefinestmindsininfectiousdiseaseresearchandithastheNHS,butasBallstates,
somehowweendedupwiththesecondhighestpercapitadeathrateintheworld.This
wasnotadocumentarythatwantedtoplay theblamegame,itlooked aheadandasked,
isthemechanismforfeedingscientificadviceintogovernmentpolicyfitforpurpose?
Thestoryofgovernmentscience advisersstartswithChurchillintheSecondWorld
War, apositionthatbecameofficialwiththeWilsongovernment’sappointmentofSolly
Zuckermaninthe1960s.
In 1990,JohnSelwynGummerfed hisdaughterCordeliasomebeefduringtheearly
partoftheBSEcrisis,whileassuringthejournaliststhatthebestscientificadviceofthe
timestatedthatitwasbesttofeed yourchildren aburgerbyafive-bargate andwhile
acrowdwatched.Thisadvice proved premature (theproblemwasthebeef, notthe
gate) andledtoaninquiry,oneoftheconclusionsofwhichwasthat“Science advice to
governmentneedstobeindependentandtransparent.”
Thedocumentarydealtwithmanyissues–theideologyofherdimmunity, cognitive
biasesonCovid-19being“reallyjustflu”,sluggishnessontestingandaslowness
onlockdownduetofearsof“lockdownfatigue”. Oneofthemostuncomfortable
possibilitiesisthat,hadthelockdownstartedaweekearlier, 30,000peoplemay
nothave diedduetoCovid-19.There are alsoworriesthattheindependenceand
transparencyhasnotbeenwhatitshouldhavebeen.Theuneasinessofunbiased
scientificadvicewasbroughtawkwardly tolightwhenattemptingtodealwithDominic
Cummings’lengthylockdownroadtripandout-for-a-spineye testbriefing.AsBall
concludes, themostimportantoutcomeofanyinvestigationintotherelationship
betweengovernmentandscienceiswhatwecan learnfromitintermsoftrust,in
termsofreliabilityandintermsofensuringlives are notlostunnecessarily.LedbytheScienceisonRadio4 andBBCSounds
@robininceRADIO
Trust exercise
We’re following the science. But perhaps it’s not always
fit for human consumption, says Robin InceAlthoughsomeaspectsofOnlyFoolsand
Horses,votedBritain’s favouriteever sitcom,
have notagedbrilliantlyintheeyesofamore
enlightenedaudience, thepictureitpainted
ofaninclusive,multiculturalworking-class
communitywasapositiveone.
“Theshowexplored alotofpeople’s
predicaments. Aswellasbeingaseriesof
very goodjokes andstoriestherewasalotof
pathostoo,” hesays. “JohnSullivan talkedabout
difficultstuffandmadeyousmile. Boycieand
Marlene’sinabilitytoproduce achildbecamea
long-runningjokebutitmadeyouthinkabout
a problemforanawfullotofpeople.”
And nowin2020we’re awashwithafresh
waveofwoe. Challishashadtopostponehis
one-mantourandhistraditionalstintin
pantohasbeencancelled.ThisChristmashe
shouldhavebeensettingsailtoplay Captain
HookinPortsmouth.
“It’stragic. All thosepeopleoutofwork,
notjusttheactors, thetechnicians, cleaners,
boxoffice staff,” hesays. “Thatpartofourlife
haschangedsomuchandit’ssuchashame,
becausepeoplecan goandhave agreat night’s
entertainment.Theatreisagreat release.”
Especiallypanto,where audiences can
exorciseinnerdemonsbybooingatthebaddie.
“That’sright.Hopefullywe’llbebacknext
year. I’llbegiven ahard timewhereverIgo.”
BoycieinBelgradeisonDVDandBlu-ray
fromSeptember4,withsignedcopies
availableatboycieinbelgrade.com
Interview:StevenMacKenzie
@stevenmackenzie
Got beef
Gummer used his
daughtertoshowthe
advicewassolidbut
Cordeliawasn’tbitingW
Image:PA Images / Alamy Stock PhotoFROM 24 AUGUST 2020 BIGISSUE.COM | 35