In all this, there is too an openness to evidence that is refreshing.
After all, the heart of science is in development of shared belief systems based on open critique, evidence, interpretation, and argumentation, which necessitates openness.
Those values, among others, are honesty, doubt, respect for evidence, openness, accountability and tolerance and indeed hunger for opposing points of view.
However, while the value of scientific evidence, openness and independence may now be established, this doesn't seem to have reduced attempts by politicians to suborn or silence that evidence when it is inconvenient.
Re "Elevating Science, Elevating Democracy" (Essay, Jan . 27: Dennis Overbye is right on the mark when he states that science teaches values like "honesty, doubt, respect for evidence, openness, accountability and tolerance and indeed hunger for opposing points of view".
However, at its core is not worship of an external creator or the rigid promulgation of codes of behaviour, but a path of practice designed to test its ideas, a path in which asking questions is more important than having the answers and openness to the evidence is more valuable than being right.
And there is increasing evidence that openness is a good thing.
The assumption, constantly reinforced by international financial institutions, is that breaking into global markets is the best (the only?) way to improve economies and reduce poverty.The snag, in his view, is that there is little convincing evidence that openness alone, that is, low barriers to trade and capital flows, actually improves economic growth.
The major needs/gaps are represented by the following themes: acceptance and openness to neurological conditions, evidence informed policy, investments and funding, supported transitions, caregiver support, and life enhancing resources (education, employment, housing and transportation), knowledge and awareness of neurological conditions and availability and access to health services.
Tim Kelsey, the UK's director of transparency and open data, outlined the three main challenges for this partnership of governments and civil society organisations who are committed to openness: how to get the evidence that openness works; how to share those stories; and how to ensure the partnership itself is sustainable.
