For anyone who watches the daily Covid-19 briefings, it is quite clear that too many of our politicians and journalists have little to no understanding of science and mathematics. Out of the 26 ministers attending cabinet, only three have higher-level STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) backgrounds. In parliament, only around 100 MPs have science backgrounds.
Why does this matter? Training in science gives people a different perspective on the world. It makes them more sceptical, more rigorous in their approach and, most importantly, teaches them what science can and cannot answer. Unfortunately, too many of our politicians don’t benefit from this approach – and coronavirus has exposed this problem at the heart of government. Here are seven concepts that ministers seem to struggle with:
1. Testing, testing, testing
No matter how carefully designed, created or performed, no test is perfect. Even if a test is 99.99 per cent accurate, it will generate errors and potentially a false sense of security for those who do not have a grasp of probability and maths.
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