Science Matters!

In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.

Charles Darwin

It is appropriate in celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth to reflect on just how much science is now a core part of the way we live our lives. I can think of virtually no part of my life that is not informed or influenced to some extent by some process or product of science. From understanding the nutritional and health choices of food that I buy and deriving the benefits of modern agricultural practices, to understanding the climate consequences of the way I am housed and travel, to be able to write this blog and disseminate it globally, science has really become a mainstream element of the way I live.

In recognition of the significance of science and scientists in all our lives, 2009 has been designated the Year of Science (http://www.yearofscience2009.org/home/). For many folks, science at a disciplinary level, remains a very complex and specialized endeavor. For me, those specialized fields become much easier to understand when they are explained to me by the experts in various fields. That point was reinforced listening to Dr. Philip McGillivary (from the US Coast Guard) today as he presented a stimulating lecture on the amazing set of new technologies for polar research.

In a similar vein, last week we had the privilege of hearing from some of the world's foremost arctic marine scientists at our semi-annual Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting. Our SAC has been a somewhat misunderstood and under-utilized part of our organization for many years now and so working closely with the Chair, Bill Wilson, we have begun to deliberately 'demystify' their work. That meant opening the meeting up to all interested teams within the Center (education, research, conservation, etc.) and inviting local partners to join us for presentations and discussions. The result was a rich series of interactions between the SAC members and our staff and partners that will enable the SAC to be more effective in guiding our science work in future on a more continuous basis.

One of the key outcomes of that meeting was the decision to move forward aggressively in searching for a new SeaLife Center Chief Scientist - a "rainmaker" who really has the ability to expand our 'science bandwidth' and help us build upon our existing science strengths to embrace a more comprehensive suite of science programs. There is a diversity of views still on what background that person should have and so we'll be forming a committee of SAC members and staff to scope out and recruit for that position. We'd welcome your thoughts on what skills the ideal candidate should have.
Who knows, there might just be another Darwin out there wanting to help us solve some of the most pressing issues facing humanity...