Schools IB TOK class: Covid revealed what science can do when funding is found

This article picked by a teacher with suggested questions is part of the Financial Times free schools access programme. Details/registration here.

Specification:

IB DP TOK themes & AOKs Natural sciences, Human sciences, Politics

Relevant Big Question Creativity

Key terms and ideas Sense of urgency, Valley of Death, Boring, Bold ideas

Integration Group 4 subjects, economics, global politics

Investigating Issues Scientific legislation

Click to read the article below and then answer the questions:

Covid revealed what science can do when funding is found

This article has both positive and negative things to say about the way in which the scientific community has been affected by the Covid. On one hand, the crisis has led to plenty of money being channelled into finding a solution. But on the other hand, this money has been lost by other very worthy research areas.

• How dependent is scientific knowledge on a ‘sense of urgency’, and what are the implications of this?

• Do we only explore scientific ideas if they are potentially lucrative?

• How should we decide on what does — and what doesn’t — receive funding, and who should make this call?

• How democratic should scientific research be?

Going further Check out the primary Exploration Points document here, and investigate this issue here.

Michael Dunn, theoryofknowledge.net