Episode One Hundred And Six – On Friends Of Science In Medicine – Interview With Dr Rob Morrison

Here’s a little something you might not know about me – I’m a student at a university that offers courses in alternative medicine. As a consequence, this leads me to be concerned that there’s graduates from my school believing that their these courses are fully endorsed by the scientific community at large.

But if you’re a student studying for qualifications in homeopathy, reflexology, naturopathy and the like – I say you should be rethinking what your college is offering you. More recently there’s been a number of scientists and supporters of science, who have been voicing their concerns too.

As reported in the New York Times: Friends of Science in Medicine — a recently formed group that includes more than 400 prominent scientists, doctors, academics and consumer advocates from Australia and overseas — wrote to the vice chancellors of Australian universities last month. They outlined their concerns about what they called the “diminishing of the standards applied to the teaching of science in our universities” and “the increased teaching of pseudoscience.”

Dr Rob Morrison is the National Vice-President of the Australian Science Communicators, a patron of National Science Week South Australia and a Freelance Science writer / Broadcaster and Professorial Fellow Flinders University. He’s also one of the founding members of Friends of Science in Medicine. I started my interview by asking him – how did it all begin?

The Friends of Science In Medicine have a number of documents online for you to read as to their goals and here’s a list of supporters.

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