Skeptics In The Pub (SitP) Westminster, 2009 Nov 16

The Skepchick has now relocated to London and persuaded me to come along to the local version of the venture I first encountered in Boston. Tonight's meeting turned out to be about "Evidence-Based Policy Making" and specifically the scientific evidence and the politics around the control of narcotics in the UK. Dr David Nutt had recently been sacked as a government advisor after his committee submitted a report which concluded the scientific evidence was not aligned with current policy. Nutt, together with Dr Evan Harris MP, a Lib Dem politician who champions secularism and science, presented their outrageous story. They were both really funny as well as compelling. Although specifically about drugs in the UK, a lot of the discussion was very relevant to other evidence-vs-politics issues live in the US like the politics of climate change or space weaponization. The upper floor of the Barley Mow pub on Horseferry Road, not far from Parliament, was packed.

I so wish there were a few pols like Evan Harris in the US Congress!

dsc_0158.jpg David Nutt dsc_0162.jpg Packed crowd dsc_0163.jpg Rapt audience dsc_0164.jpg but the bartender was still busy now and again
dsc_0166.jpg dsc_0167.jpg dsc_0171.jpg dsc_0174.jpg Evan Harris MP

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