ABSTRACT
As we have seen from the discussions in this book, the question of how to best apply scientific data to public policy is both a timely and enduring one. However, what often goes unrecognized in many texts on the topic is the fact that before we can weigh in on this important and practical question, we must first understand both what science is as well as what it can and cannot do. This, in turn, requires an understanding of the method and domain of science, as well as addressing the question of what counts as evidence toward a scientific theory (and who decides) in addition to questions about how to interpret scientific results, how to make sense of scientific dissent, how to communicate scientific data to non-scientist stakeholders, how to identify scientific experts, and, ultimately, how to apply scientific results to public policy in the context of a democratic society with a plurality of values, goals, and aims, without resorting to relativism. In particular, it is important for anyone who studies science, public health, or public policy more generally, to truly understand both what science is, and how it works, in order to be prepared to apply it.
