Scientists

Brexit and Trump signal hard times for the effectiveness of scientific consultancy. Thus, in my words of thanks after being awarded the Gustav Stolper Award of the German Economic Association, I have given some thoughts to the role of scientists in society. Scientists have an important role in society that should be neither under- nor overrated: to develop new insights and to bring them into the public debate so that societal decision-making processes can be improved. Despite all shortcoming, answers reached with scientific methods will prove better compared to those of demagogues.

Additional material is available in German.