Friday
8 September 2006
16:00 - 19:30
Find out about Meeting of Minds, an ambitious new experiment in modern democracy, thought to be the largest-ever public consultation on science. The Meeting of Minds project has brought citizens from nine European countries together with experts in brain science to discuss and compare views on how developments in brain science will - and should - alter people’s lives.
The following films are from a plenary session organised by the Dana Centre at the London School of Economics’ Vital Politics II Conference in September 2006 to share the citizens’ findings as well as the views of organisers and neuroscientist Steven Rose with an international audience of neuroethics experts.
This event and webcast was made possible by the support of the Dana Foundation.
Videos
An overview of Meeting of Minds culminating in the presentation of the citizens' views at the European parliament. Find out from the organisers and the citizens themselves about the project and hear the views of leading neuroscientists from across Europe.
Gerrit Rauws, Director of the King Baudouin Foundation - the lead partner of the Meeting of Minds project - explains the objectives and challenges of running European-wide projects and highlights how the citizens’ recommendations can fit into policy-making.
Steven Rose, Director of the Brain and Behaviour Research Group at the Open University, speaks about his experience as an expert adviser for the Meeting of Minds project and highlights key ethical issues in contemporary neuroscience.
Sue Burne, a member of the UK citizens’ panel, talks about her experience of public participation at a UK level. How was the UK panel selected? And what did they consider the most important issues arising from developments in brain science?
Robert Smith, from the UK citizens’ panel, speaks about the challenges of taking part in a trans-European discussion. How did nine countries choose topics to prioritise and how did they come to agree on recommendations to the European Parliament?
Tom Ziessen, the Public Participation Projects Coordinator at the Dana Centre, considers whether European projects work at a national level. What are the challenges in getting policy-makers to listen and how can they be overcome?
The audience at the Vital Politics II conference get a change to quiz the panel.
What are the most important or interesting aspects of trans-European projects such as Meeting of Minds. Conference-goers give their views.
Advances in brain science: What can be achieved and how should these developments be regulated? Conference-goers give their views.
Should governments involve citizens in policy-making on scientific issues, or should policy advice come primarily from the scientists? Conference-goers consider the public’s role in influencing brain science policy-making.
'Meeting of Minds' an initiative of the partner consortium comprising King Baudouin Foundation (project coordinator and co-funder), the University of Westminster, the Flemish Institute for Science and Technology Assessment, the Danish Board of Technology, the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, the Stiftung Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, the Fondazione IDIS - Città della Scienza, the Rathenau Institute, the Science Museum, the University of Debrecen, the Eugenides Foundation and the University of Liège. With the support of the European Commission.