British Society for Social Responsibility in Science

The British Society for Social Responsibility in Science (BSSRS) was a radical science movement most active in the 1970s. It was formed in 1968 in opposition to university research on chemical and biological weapons, and supported by 83 distinguished scientists, including William Bragg, Francis Crick, Julian Huxley and Bertrand Russell. Nobel laureate Maurice Wilkins was the founding President.^[1] The main aims of the BSSRS was to raise awareness of the social responsibilities of scientists, the political aspects of science and technology, and to create an informed public. The organisation was concerned with the misuse of science and technological innovation and the impact on the environment, both for the health of workers and wider society.^[2]

Details[]

Among groups that were particularly active in BSSRS were members of

• Scientists against the Bomb
• The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)
• the Open University
• the London School of Economics (LSE)

BSSRS's inaugural meeting, sponsored by 64 Fellows, was held at the Royal Society, and attended by more than 300, mostly UK, scientists and engineers. Professor Maurice Wilkins was the founding President (1969–91).^[3]

One of the groups first targets was the British Science Association. At a meeting of the BSA in Durham in 1970, they raised political issues under a banner of "Science is not neutral". They continued their stance against the BSA, claiming it served a "propagandist function".^[4]

BSSRS published a newssheet (1969–72), continued by Science for People, (1972/3), and also had local societies and organized public meetings, as well as publishing longer research monographs.

Further reading[]

Burhop, E H S (1971-05-01). "The British Society for Social Responsibility in Science". Physics Education. 6 (3): 140–142. doi:10.1088/0031-9120/6/3/304. ISSN 0031-9120.

Dickson, David (4 May 1972). "Science to Help the People". New Scientist. 54.

See also:

Rose, Hilary; Rose, Steven, eds. (1976). "The Radicalisation of Science". doi:10.1007/978-1-349-86145-3.

Pirani, Felix (3 September 1970). 'What's Wrong with the B.A.?', New Scientist, 47.

Werskey, Paul Gary (1971). "British Scientists and 'Outsider' Politics, 1931-1945". Science Studies. 1 (1): 67–83. ISSN 0036-8539.

Fuller, Watson (ed.) (1971). The Social impact of modern biology. British Society for Social Responsibility in Science. London,: Routledge and K. Paul. 1971. ISBN 0-7100-6676-7. OCLC 227435.^[5]

Bell, Alice (2013-07-18). "Beneath the white coat: the radical science movement". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-06-18.

Bell, Alice (2014-09-08). ""Science is not Neutral!" Autumn 1970, when British science occupied itself". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-06-18.

Bell, Alice (2015-01-27) "Science for the people!". Mosaic. Retrieved 2021-06-18.

Bell, Alice (2017-01-01). "The Scientific Revolution That Wasn't: The British Society for Social Responsibility in Science". Radical History Review. 2017 (127): 149–172. doi:10.1215/01636545-3690930. ISSN0163-6545.

The BSSRS archive is held at Wellcome Collection (ref no: SA/BSR).[1]

References[]

• The Radicalisation of Science (edited by Hilary Rose and Steven Rose), London: The MacMillan Press Ltd. ISBN 0-333-21141-3

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