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MART SAARMA, MAREK TAMM | Evidence-based choices for Estonia: science-based policy is not scientists’ politics
Translated from Estonian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
Opinion
Named sources
Context piece
- Estonian Academy of Sciences leaders Mart Saarma and Marek Tamm argue that Estonia should base policy decisions on scientific evidence rather than untested assumptions.
- They say the country’s limited population, money and time leave little room to correct poor decisions after the fact.
“No nation or state can build its affairs on fairy tales and dreams.” Karl Schlossmann, the first president of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, issued that warning at the academy’s ceremonial opening in October 1938.
Nearly nine decades later, academy president Mart Saarma and vice president Marek Tamm say the message remains relevant. Estonia is a small country, they write, and it has too few people, too little money and too little time to repair bad decisions after they have been made.
Their argument is for science-based policy, but they stress that this does not mean scientists’ politics. For Estonia, they present evidence-based choices as a practical necessity rather than an abstract ideal.
No nation or state can build its affairs on fairy tales and dreams.
About this summary
Originally published by Postimees in Estonian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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