How Can Science and Social Science Influence Society?

Dame Carol will draw upon her long career to give examples of how evidence and science can influence government policy for societal good.

Systemic sclerosis is a complex chronic disease with the highest mortality of any rheumatic condition, with an enormous clinical burden. Based on scientific progress it is now envisioned as a disorder of dysregulated connective tissue and vascular repair in response to sustained injury – and mortality and morbidity have been much reduced in recent decades.

A different but equally challenging problem is the health of Britain’s population of working age. Three independent evidence-based reviews for the UK Government, on the inter-relationship of work, health and productivity, have had a major effect on government policy, creating a compelling case for decisive action to deliver improved prosperity to individuals, employers and the nation.

Finally, a fourth independent review for the Government, this one on illicit drugs (demand, supply, treatment and recovery) has gathered evidence that led the government to allocate almost £800 million over three years to implement a new 10- year strategy to bring about a whole-system cross-government change towards collaborative working, with clear potential for a safer society, fewer homicides, reduction in serious acquisitive crime, and fewer drug-dependent people in prison.

Climate Change and Innovative Paths Towards a More Sustainable Future

The multiple industrial and agricultural revolutions have transformed the world. However, an unintended consequence of this progress is that we are changing the climate of our planet. In addition to the climate risks, we will need to provide enough clean energy, water and food of a more prosperous world that may grow to 11 billion by 2100. The talk will discuss the significant technical challenges and potential solutions that could provide better paths to a more sustainable future. How we transition to from where we are now to where we need to be within 50 years is arguably the most pressing set of issues that science, innovation and public policy have to address.

GIS is Imperative for Sustainability

Balancing human-made systems with the natural world is our life’s work. It’s the reason why Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) was founded over a half century ago.The vision was to develop GIS software that would be useful when applied to real life problems and to solve complex problems like sustainability and climate resilience. Creating positive change is essential for sustainable economies and businesses, particularly, for human life and society. And while it is challenging, people can do it at scale – if business, government, and science can come together and see our common ground.

The Deep Learning Revolution

The invention of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the World Wide Web have changed our lives and society. Machine learning based on deep neural networks will be as important as any of these earlier innovations and may have deeper and more disruptive societal impacts than earlier innovations. What has enabled this revolution? How has the capability of systems using this technology changed? How will deep learning transform our society?