Barry Jones says he's concerned about the lack of interest in science from politicians and students.

Former Science Minister Barry Jones says he predicts the 'S' word will barely rate a mention during the current federal election campaign.

"There are very few people in Parliament who take a serious interest in science and really understand the whole business of scientific method," he said.

Speaking to ABC Goulburn Murray before his public address for National Science Week in Albury last week, Mr Jones said it was "tragic" that students were turning away from science.

"The whole quality of life that we have, our health, our education, our communication skills, everything that we're doing right now is dependent on science," he said.

"And yet oddly enough, we've got more and more people going and studying say in the marketing subjects, you've got tremendous number of MBA's and spin doctors and so on who are coming out of universities.

"But at the same time the numbers of people doing what we call the enabling sciences are falling, and that's tragic."

Famous for his intellect, Mr Jones entered politics after a varied career as a schoolteacher, radio host, TV quiz champion and anti-capital punishment campaigner.

He was also one of the first Australian public figures to speak about the dangers of climate change in the 1980s, though his concerns were widely dismissed.

He said he was still frustrated by the tone of debate on the issue.

"Part of the problem has been that you've got evidence on one side and opinion on the other," he said.

Mr Jones said he "doesn't necessarily accept" the idea that everyone's view is equally valid.

"When it gets to brain surgery for example, you just simply don't go out and conduct a snap poll and say look, 11 out of 12 people... think you ought to act in this way rather than that," he said.

"The problem is you've got a whole number of vested interests who are saying 'Nothing must happen that will affect our economic interests, short term or medium term'.

"The tragedy is that science and politics and business operate in two completely different time scales.

"Notoriously, posterity has no vote. People are voting on the here and now, this minute.

"What science needs, always needs, is a leader who becomes excited about an issue and is prepared to talk about it and I think that can galvanise public interest."

Barry Jones gave his lecture on 100 Years of Science as a guest of Charles Sturt University and the Astronomical Society of Albury-Wodonga.