I have joined ranks with Mooney and Kirshenbaum in my support of a presidential debate on science and technology policy. I see important reasons for this debate. Sciencedebate 2008
First, science and technology are either at the forefront of many current issues (global warming an embryonic stem cells) and are an underlying aspect of many addition issues (cost effective pharmaceuticals for the elderly). Here is where I see the greatest benefit from this type of debate. Determining where the candidates stand on certain issues and most importantly why they have that stance.
Second, I want to know how these candidates view science. Currently, our society has, at least a tolerance in, the idea that facts are akin to beliefs. There is an undercurrent of antagonism towards science, rationalism, intellectualism etc. In a variety of speeches, the candidates have reinforced this view in my mind. When 3/9 republican candidates raise their hands in response to the question "Which of you DO NOT believe in the theory of evolution?" without a show of embarrassment or subsequent backpedaling you know there is a problem. From this kind of debate we can find out who answers questions related to science and technology policy accurately or who answers in such a way as to appease the religious right.
When I joined I posted a question that will never get used, though I am sure many are posting something similar. I do not have the quote but it was approximately...."All of the candidates have expressed the importance of faith in their lives and policy decisions. My question is what will the candidates do if they learn that the best available science directly contradicts one of their beliefs, one current example could be the intelligent design-evolution issue. (Obviously there are a plethora of examples global warming, nukes in Iraq, abstinence-only sex education, etc.)
Sign up, tell your Congressional representatives, teachers, university officials, religious leaders, etc. to support this debate as well.
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Field of Science
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Earth Day: Pogo and our responsibility2 months ago in Doc Madhattan
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What I Read 20242 months ago in Angry by Choice
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I've moved to Substack. Come join me there.4 months ago in Genomics, Medicine, and Pseudoscience
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The Site is Dead, Long Live the Site2 years ago in Catalogue of Organisms
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The Site is Dead, Long Live the Site2 years ago in Variety of Life
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Histological Evidence of Trauma in Dicynodont Tusks6 years ago in Chinleana
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Posted: July 21, 2018 at 03:03PM6 years ago in Field Notes
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Why doesn't all the GTA get taken up?7 years ago in RRResearch
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Harnessing innate immunity to cure HIV8 years ago in Rule of 6ix
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post doc job opportunity on ribosome biochemistry!10 years ago in Protein Evolution and Other Musings
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Blogging Microbes- Communicating Microbiology to Netizens10 years ago in Memoirs of a Defective Brain
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Re-Blog: June Was 6th Warmest Globally10 years ago in The View from a Microbiologist
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The Lure of the Obscure? Guest Post by Frank Stahl13 years ago in Sex, Genes & Evolution
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Lab Rat Moving House13 years ago in Life of a Lab Rat
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Goodbye FoS, thanks for all the laughs13 years ago in Disease Prone
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Slideshow of NASA's Stardust-NExT Mission Comet Tempel 1 Flyby14 years ago in The Large Picture Blog
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in The Biology Files
Discussions on the interface between Science and Society, Politics, Religion, Life, and whatever else I decide to write about.
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