1970S, The Bbc Controversy, An Experiment Inwards Scientific Discipline Television?
By Rupert Cole
In the early on seventies, long earlier utter of ‘public engagement’ too ‘public dialogue’ was inwards vogue, the BBC too the Royal Institution (RI) staged a television receiver series, Controversy (1971-5), that gave audiences an chance to participate inwards debates alongside scientists on issues inwards ‘science too society’.
Image credits: Financial Times
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 critical success at the fourth dimension but instantly largely forgotten, Controversy was an experiment inwards scientific discipline television. As a scientific discipline programme, it was both novel inwards showing scientists disagreeing alongside each other face-to-face too inwards subjecting the scientists to audience scrutiny.
Controversy ran for 5 serial over 29 programmes (50-90 minutes inwards length), on debates ranging from racial differences inwards IQ testing to nuclear power. The name, format – a speaker presenting a controversial thesis earlier a panel of 4-6 opponents too audience inwards the RI’s theater – too intention of the serial reflected the cultural currents of the belatedly 1960s too early on 1970s when the persuasion of scientific discipline beingness controversial was widespread.
Clip from 1973 Controversy, ‘The General Purpose Robot is a Mirage’, featuring James Lighthill who argued against artificial tidings inquiry was a dead end
As a historical trial of ‘public agreement of science’ (not a phrase unremarkably used inwards 1970s Britain), the serial raises questions almost the operate of publics inwards the production of scientific too technological knowledge.
On to a greater extent than than 1 occasion the ready of Controversy, the RI’s lecture theatre, became a phase for social get demonstration, generating roughly other grade of controversy. Expertise too scientific ascendency itself were challenged.
In damage of populace complaint, the most controversial programme was ‘A New Look at an Old Animal’ (August 1972), inwards which the aptly named Robin Fox too Lionel Tiger (who incidentally kickoff met at the London Zoo) argued that human behaviour, including the social roles played yesteryear men too women, were governed yesteryear evolutionary instincts acquired during prehistoric struggles for survival.
Radical feminist Juliet Mitchell, who had lectured at the counter-cultural Anti-University of London, was 1 of the opponents, but the most powerful too lively criticism came during the audience questions.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 women’s liberation grouping dominated the proceedings. Some deployed the disruptive tactic of reading quotations from Marx too Engels, similar to the ploy used yesteryear the 1975 University of Manchester University Challenge squad a few years later.
‘Let me tell yous something almost Engels,’ Robin Fox offered inwards rather patronising tones, inwards an endeavour to engage. He was met alongside laughter too pantomime jeers, earlier a heckler shouted: ‘Engels was a sexist, white, Anglo-Saxon male’. ‘Well,’ Fox continued undeterred, ‘speaking at to the lowest degree every bit a white, Anglo-Saxon Male’. ‘Sexist. Don’t forget that one’, interrupted roughly other loud heckle. (That Engels was High German was beside the point…)
One woman, who introduced herself every bit ‘Miss Bra of the women’s liberation’, criticised Fox too Tiger of deriving their scientific discipline from ‘a morality based on aggression too the domination of the man’, thence suggesting that the production of scientific noesis is non value costless too could live unlike if based on unlike principles. Similarly, roughly other criticised their patriarchal linguistic communication too deport inwards the debate:
"[You] tell you’ve been studying ‘men’. I don’t know when yous tell ‘men’ or ‘man’ whether yous ever refer to the human race or whether yous are referring to your ain sex."
After a few to a greater extent than heated exchanges, the protesters walked out yesteryear Fox too Tiger every bit they attempted to hand a lastly word, 1 picking upwards the mass on the lecturer’s desk earlier throwing it downwards dismissively.
Following the broadcast, a flurry of written complaints, all directed at the women’s liberation, were made, including letters sent to the Director too the Secretary of the RI, the BBC, The Times too the Radio Times.
Most of the complaints - coming from both genders - criticised the conduct of the women's lib protesters, suggesting at that spot was a deport to how scientific discipline ought to live discussed.
Examples of how they were described include: ‘abrasive’, ‘discourteous’, ‘an embarrassment’, ‘an insult to the aims too traditions of the RI’, ‘dogmatic believers spreading propaganda’, ‘mindless sub-yippees’, ‘deplorable’, ‘unforgivable rudeness’, ‘appalling manners’, too ‘childish females'.
The producer published a defence forcefulness of his determination to broadcast the protestation on democratic principles but likewise remarked it was 'unfortunate' the alone contributions were from women's lib members when at that spot ‘more qualified people present, including sociologists, anthropologists too zoologists’. The implication beingness that the most valid responses from the audience were those grounded inwards scientific expertise.
Controversy, albeit inadvertently, highlighted the highly political nature of populace twenty-four hours of the month alongside science, yesteryear which cardinal cultural too intellectual boundaries of scientific discipline tin live challenged: what inquiry should live done; who should live doing it, why too to what ends; too what are the biases too prejudices inherent inwards its production too end-product.
The populace backlash to the women’s liberation protestation propose the forces that protect the established monastic tell of scientific discipline were far from vulnerable to mainstream challenge inwards the early on 1970s. What is the province of affairs now? Are nosotros closer to a more-widespread – beyond a minor coterie of activists -- politically-charged populace twenty-four hours of the month of science?
Read the amount newspaper 1972: The BBC’s Controversy too the politics of audience participation
More articles almost Historical Moments inwards Public Understanding of Science
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