How Risky is Direct Democracy for Basic Science?

Abstract

A threatful national referendum which aimed at prohibiting gene technology in Switzerland to a large extend by prohibiting transgenic animals, deliberate release of genetic modified organisms, the patenting of animals and plants as well as their parts and products and by demanding a general reversal of burden of proof in research, has initiated the discussion about the necessity to rethink public communication about new technologies and risk communication both on the side of science as on the side of industry. The paper proposes the installation of three new institutions: first of all the implementation of a Competence Center for Biosafety which fulfills a new form of risk communication as well as the cantonal execution of federal ordinances, second a new institution for establishing strong links between Universities and High Schools to improve information transfer of basic science to the public and third the installation of an information system on the internet.