As the world faces increasingly disparate challenges, science is being subjected to vehement demands from society calling for transparency, openness and public participation in science policy. This book provides a framework and a vision on how to conceive, discuss and evaluate the changes that occur in the relationship between science and society.

Introduction Sofia Guedes Vaz and Ângela Guimarães Pereira 1. When communication fails: A study of failures of global systems Jerome Ravetz 2. Science for sustainable development: Articulating knowledges Gilberto Gallopín and Hebe Vessuri 3. Reflexively dealing with uncertainty and complexity in policy-related knowledge: What can it mean? Matthieu Craye 4. Uncertainty, assumptions and value commitments in the knowledge base of complex environmental problems Jeroen Van der Sluijs 5. Science for governance: The implications of the complexity revolution Mario Giampietro, Tim Allen and Kozo Mayumi 6. Reflexivity and modesty in the application of complexity theory Roger Strand and Sílvia Cañellas-Boltà 7. Precaution as an invigorating context for scientific input in policy processes Cato C. ten Hallers-Tjabbes, David Gee and Sofia Guedes Vaz 8. Why knowledge assessment? Silvio Funtowicz 9. Deliberating foresight knowledge for policy and foresight knowledge assessment René Von Schomberg, Ângela Guimarães Pereira and Silvio Funtowicz 10. Transparency, openness and participation in science policy processes Maria Eduarda Gonçalves 11. Interfaces between science and policy for environmental governance: Lessons and open questions from the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy Sybille van den Hove and Martin Sharman 12. Patents at the interfaces among science, society and the law Emanuela Gambini 13. Evaluating public and stakeholder engagement strategies in environmental governance Jacquelin Burgess and Judy Clark 14. Community-based research Jennifer A. Bellamy 15. Science and society in place-based communities: Uncomfortable partners David Waltner-Toews, Ligia Noronha and Dean Bavington 16. Science shops as science-society interfaces Henk A.J. Mulder, Michael S. Jørgensen, Laura Pricope, Norbert Steinhaus and Anke Valentin 17. Building knowledge partnerships with ICT? Social and technological conditions of conviviality Martin O'Connor 18. CSLoTs: communication of science to non-scientific audiences. VGAS©: Exploration of energy, lifestyles and climate Tiago de Sousa Pedrosa and Ângela Guimarães Pereira 19. Worldwide virtual network of practitioners working on science and society issues Mercè Agüera Cabo and Ângela Guimarães Pereira