Science and politics don’t listen to each other, but they should. And they need to. 

Consider this: a politician’s role in society is to serve and inform the people to the best of their ability (public service); a scientist’s role in society is to serve the people and provide scientific knowledge and advancement (also public service). Most of the time, politicians are not asking scientists (which includes doctors) about healthcare, what the policies should be and how these policies can help the people. There is a lack of scientific education in politics. 

It needs to change. 

The discrepancy in communication is harming millions of citizens in the United States because politicians are misinforming or not informing the public at all about what the science actually does. However, the blame is not one-sided. Scientists do not actively advise politicians about the best course of action to take based on scientific findings. The anti-GMO movement (genetically modified organism) is caused in part by this lack of communication. 

Let me give you the rundown: GMOs are positively contributing to public health across the world. In Bangladesh, GMO eggplants were adopted with higher pesticides, which contributed to higher crop production, higher income results and higher environmental advantage. The Golden Rice project in China focuses on in diffusing nutrients such as Vitamin A into this traditionally non-nutritious plant, which is assisting in fusing the epidemic of childhood blindness. GMOs are reducing starvation and malnutrition in especially rural areas of China.

GMOs have no negative health consequences, so how did such a negative stigma surround them? Misinformation reached the public without correction. How are scientists and doctors supposed to advise if there are not any laws or advocacy gearing toward them?

Science is as fast as the rabbit while politics is as slow as the turtle. Politics and laws need to move faster to accommodate science. Let’s take genetic sequencing. As of now, there are not any laws supporting protection and privacy between genetic sequencing companies and their clients. What if insurance companies increased their rates against people who have higher predispositions for a disease? Is this fair?

So what do we do?

To the politicians: I encourage you to bring doctors, experts in the field of healthcare or science, onto your campaign. I assure you that you will find more advocates toward your campaign because of it. What kind of healthcare policies do you support? Are you educated enough to make that kind of decision for the communities you are representing? What kind of laws need to be enacted in order to provide the best possible healthcare?

To the doctors and scientists: I encourage you to participate in politics. If you are a STEM major (especially in the health sciences), consider going into politics or law. We need the education and the connection between these two fields.

Let’s make the world a better place and combine politics with science.