Sir Mark Walport

The Life Scientific

BBC

Technology, Personal Journals, Society & Culture, Science

4.6 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2012

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jim al-Khalili talks to the next chief scientific advisor to the government, Sir Mark Walport about how he thinks science can save the UK economy; how he plans to ensure that scientific evidence is taken seriously by an arts-dominated civil service and why he believes scientific research should be made available to everyone, free of charge. Sir Mark, who started his Life Scientific studying immune responses, has spent the last ten years in charge of one of the largest funders of medical research in the world, the Wellcome Trust. Many love his robust, straight-talking style: others find him uncompromising. He hopes to tackle environmental change and many of the problems associated with our ageing population, as well as changing Whitehall's attitude to science. It's hard to predict what other issues he may have to deal with, but even without an unexpected crisis, many anticipate that his forthcoming time in government will be nothing if not eventful.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Once you've wrapped up this podcast, how about trying a very British cult?
0:06.0	What happens if the person you trust with your future isn't what you think they are?
0:10.0	I did feel the whole time he was watching me Yeti. I saw a footprint and that really gave me gusmas.
0:16.4	Or people who knew me. Emme, I remember every secret, every lie. I'm the only one who knows the truth.
0:23.0	Discover more of our biggest podcast from 2003.
0:27.0	Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:29.0	Hi, I'm Jimikelili.
0:31.0	Thanks for downloading the Life Scientific from BBC Radio 4.
0:35.4	This week I'll be talking to the next Chief Scientific Advisor to the government, Sir Mark Walport.
0:41.2	It's clearly one of the most important jobs in science, but who'd really want to do it?
0:45.7	From April next year there'll be a new chief scientific advisor to the government.
0:50.4	So Mark Walport.
0:52.2	The job it seems to me is to make sure that science and scientists are given the respect it and they deserve.
0:59.0	But in practice it seems, the success or otherwise of past advisors has been judged primarily on their ability
1:05.8	to respond in a crisis. Mark Walport may have escaped the volcanic ash cloud, foot and mouth,
1:12.1	and BSE.
1:13.2	But he'll almost certainly be badgered by the badger issue, asked for advice as to whether
1:18.3	culling badgers is an effective way of preventing the spread of TB and cattle, and countless other issues which we simply of It's certainly not an easy job and many scientists I know wonder not so much why you Mark
1:35.0	Port currently head of one of the richest charitable foundations in the world the
1:39.3	welcome trust were offered the post but rather why you accepted.
1:44.0	Welcome first of the life scientific.
1:46.0	Thank you a much.
	...

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