COPUS disbanded

The UK's Committee for the Public Understanding of Science is to be disbanded.

| 2 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
2:00
Share

Following an at times impassioned debate about the best way to promote good practice in science communication in the UK, the three bodies that formed the Committee for the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) — the Royal Society, the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Royal Institution — have decided to disband COPUS as it is currently constituted.

COPUS was formed in 1985 in response to the perceived need for better communication of science. In recent years, as the emphasis has shifted from the idea of public understanding of science to one of engaging the public in scientific decision making, critics have suggested that COPUS is old fashioned in its approach.

In particular, Dame Bridget Ogilvie, former head of the Wellcome Trust and chair of COPUS until she resigned in June this year, wanted to see COPUS become an umbrella organization with a strategic overview of science ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Helen Gavaghan

    This person does not yet have a bio.
Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo
New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

Sino

Products

Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide

Explore a Concise Guide to Optimizing Viral Transduction

A Visual Guide to Lentiviral Gene Delivery

Takara Bio
Inventia Life Science

Inventia Life Science Launches RASTRUM™ Allegro to Revolutionize High-Throughput 3D Cell Culture for Drug Discovery and Disease Research

An illustration of differently shaped viruses.

Detecting Novel Viruses Using a Comprehensive Enrichment Panel

Twist Bio