Paul Nurse, the Director of the Francis Crick Institute and
President of the Royal Society, has called for science to be placed
centre stage in our culture and economy.
Giving the annual Richard Dimbleby lecture, broadcast
on BBC 1, Sir Paul described how science had shaped the world and
made it a better place.
He told his audience at the Royal College of Physicians in
London: "We need a new Enlightenment, an Enlightenment for the 21st
century, and Britain is the place to do it with its history of
freedom, rationality, and scientific achievement. We need more
science in Government, the boardroom, and public services, we need
more funding for science, we need greater engagement with the
public and a society comfortable with science, we need to convey
the wonder of science, and what it contributes to our
civilization.”
Sir Paul explained how his passion for science had begun when as
a nine year-old boy he watched a star that was rapidly moving and
was very bright. It was Sputnik Two, the second man made satellite
to orbit the earth.
He said: “The natural world is fascinating, and is even more so
if you are prepared to observe, to experiment, to think, and to try
and understand. That is what scientists do, and there is a little
bit of the scientist in all of us, especially when we are
children.”
He talked about the practical benefits of science – generating
knowledge that when properly used leads to applications through
technologies and engineering for the public good.
In a passionate speech, he argued: “We should reawaken the
spirit of the Enlightenment, a respect for science and rationality,
a free sharing of ideas and thinking with people from all walks of
life, revive the energy of the Industrial Revolution, and have the
courage to take risks and be true entrepreneurs.”
He said he hoped the Crick would not just be a place for
scientific experiments, but also a place for experimenting in the
way science was done: “As Director of the Institute, I want to
create a cultural and economic hot house of scientific ideas and
applications, to make exciting discoveries improving our health and
driving our economy.”
He added: “I do not want scientists to stay in their labs all
the time, I want them to mix with the best minds from industry, the
city, the public services, the media, to spark off new ideas to
help science benefit us all.”
“It will be a place without departments or restricting
hierarchies, with scientists free to pursue their own creative
ideas in a highly interactive and open building. If it sounds a bit
like anarchy, that is because it will be a bit like anarchy. It is
often in mixed up and chaotic circumstances that the most creative
work is done.”
The Francis Crick Institute is supported by six of the world's
leading medical research organisations: Cancer Research UK, the
Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, UCL (University
College London), Imperial College London and King's College
London. Cancer Research UK’s Create The Change campaign is
inviting the UK and the world’s leading philanthropists to drive
forward medical research and raise £100m towards the Francis Crick
Institute by 2015.