Professor Philip Nolan:

It is probably timely to remind people that scientists are human beings and citizens first. We place equal value on the humanities and social sciences as we do on science and engineering. Professor Carey's point is really material. Who defines the big questions that we are going to address as a society? Who imagines what the future might hold and who teaches us the lessons of the past? I would be emphatic that in shaping a research agenda for the future we do so as citizens. In a professional sense, that requires that we sit with our colleagues in the social sciences and humanities and discuss what to do about the climate crisis. That is a collective question rather than a simple, scientific, linear progression. We have to imagine different ways of being and working so absolute parity of esteem is essential.