Should science be run by politicians? Yesterday, Britain launched an ambitious new scheme, but some fear zealous scientists with too much freedom to experiment could put us all in danger.

Following a recent announcement that UK scientists have made a major step towards finally achieving nuclear fusionA potential means of generating nuclear power by combining two atoms to produce a new atom as well as a large amount of energy. It mimics the way in which stars produce energy., Dr Octopus's fate is a reminder of the dangers that unsupervised science can pose.

Scientists have long hoped that nuclear fusionA potential means of generating nuclear power by combining two atoms to produce a new atom as well as a large amount of energy. It mimics the way in which stars produce energy. could provide a cheap energy source to solve the climate crisis. But critics are concerned that it could cause more problems than it solves.

Fusion produces radiation and nuclear wasteLeftover material from a nuclear reaction. It can remain radioactive, and thus dangerous to humans, for hundreds of thousands of years. - and large amounts of heat that could prove impossible to control. It has even been used to develop the most destructive weapons in human history.

It is not the only big scientific breakthrough to raise eyebrows this week. Scientists have also made the first steps towards "robot reproduction", which would allow computers to create new machines without any human input.

They hope that this could spur a new process of digital evolution. But some fear this would place computer technology well beyond the command of human beings, putting us all in danger.

Now, the UK government wants to bring science under tighter government control as part of a bid to turn the country into a "science superpower".

We are often told that scientific progress makes us happier, healthier and safer. It gives us new forms of entertainment and medicine and promises to solve crises like the pandemic and climate breakdown. But some think science has failed to live up to this promise.

In the last two centuries, most people believed that scientific progress would make life easier and give people more leisure time. Karl Marx suggested that in the future, advanced technology would be responsible for all production, meaning that people could do whatever work appealed to them, whenever they felt like it.

Scientific regress

But instead, people are working harder than ever in jobs that they do not find fulfilling. And this is partly thanks to science. Many workplaces have installed surveillance technologies to monitor their workforce and make sure they do not slow down.

Some suggest politicians should direct scientific research to ensure that it works in ordinary people's interest - and keeps them safe.

But others argue that putting science under political control has worrying implications. They claim that politicians are not qualified to determine what is and is not safe; they could end up holding back scientific progress.

And they point out that scientific catastrophes have often been caused not by science itself, but by political meddling. For example, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 only became a global problem because politicians tried to cover up the extent of the crisis.

Should science be run by politicians?

Yes, say some. Scientific progress was meant to revolutionise our lives, but many people feel that very little has changed for them. Minor advances like cheap smartphones are cold comfort for people working longer hours and under strict supervision from their bosses. Politicians could work with scientists to ensure technology actually improves things for ordinary people.

Not at all, say others. Science is at its best and boldest when it is not constrained by political considerations. Politicians are naturally risk-averse because they do not want to be blamed when things go wrong. This might make them hold back important research for fear of quite minor damage. Scientists have always pushed the boundaries of human knowledge: political interference would just hold us back.