The Lives of Evidence National Lecture Series

The Lives of Evidence National Lecture Series
See links to all parts below.

Many questions are raised in light of the recent warnings about the “the death of evidence” and "War on Science". What do we mean by “evidence”? How is evidence interpreted, represented and communicated? How do we create trust in research? What's the relationship between research, funding and policy? Between evidence, explanations and expertise?

These are but some of the questions explored in the Situating Science national lecture series The Lives of Evidence. The national Situating Science project (www.SituSci.ca) and supporters are launching a multi-part national lecture series examining the cultural, ethical, political, and scientific role of evidence in our world, all of which impact citizens.

“Recent concerns about transparency, conflicts between experts, political interference in the scientific process, and dire warnings about the ‘death of evidence’,” says Situating Science Director Gordon McOuat, “have made it all the more crucial that we examine the origins, meaning and trust in our concepts of ‘evidence’. This lecture series will bring multiple perspectives - historical, philosophical, ethical, scientific - to explore our understanding of evidence and why so much is hinged on ‘getting it right’.”

A December symposium, “Hype in Science”, marked the soft launch of The Lives of Evidence national lecture series. In the all-day public event in Halifax, leading scientists, publishers and historians and philosophers of science discussed several case studies of how science is misrepresented and over-hyped in top science journals. They explored issues of trustworthiness in science publications, scientific authority, science communication, and the place of research in the broader public.

Active Canadian research in the humanistic study of science has been particularly interested in the social, cultural, ethical and political aspects of scientific and technological method and exchange, questioning dominant models of thought and underlying assumptions. Traveling across Canada, The Lives of Evidence national lecture series will bring together scientists, science policy analysts, leading philosophers and anthropologists of science to discuss the origins, meaning and future of evidence, its contexts, uses and implications.

Much like the highly successful Trust in New Sciences and Science and its Publics national lecture series before it, we expect The Lives of Evidence series to draw in large and diverse audiences of specialists from various disciplines, students and members of the wider public.

All events will be open to the public, recorded and some will be streamed live online on our website. Stay tuned!