In the Globe and Mail, U of T's Mark Lautens asks why there aren't more scientists in politics
Published: November 5, 2019
In his most , the University of Toronto鈥檚 Mark Lautens asks: Why was science largely absent from the federal election debates? And why don't more scientists run for office in Canada?
Lautens, a in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science, argues 鈥渢here鈥檚 no simple explanation鈥 for the lack of scientists and researchers in politics. He says one possible reason is that Canadian scientists lack the star power of leaders in business, sports or the arts, who are better represented in the corridors of power.
Another explanation, he says, is that it鈥檚 near-impossible for scientists to return to their lab and students after a stint in politics.
But political discourse would benefit from having more scientists at the table, according to Lautens. 鈥淢y view is that if more scientists were key figures in every political party, there would be far less polarization,鈥 he says. 鈥淓vidence-based decision-making might take over from half-truths or worse.鈥
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