Re: Where do they stand on science?

Mike Jr. wrote:
On Aug 15, 4:07 pm, Sam Wormley <sworml...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Where do they stand on science?
http://blogs.physicstoday.org/politics08/?type=PTFAVE

One of the realities of American politics is that politicians rarely worry about science
as they travel from steel mills to farms to community halls to deliver their carefully
crafted stump speeches. When Bill Clinton was first running for president in 1992, one of
his advisers coined a phrase that kept the campaign focused: "It's the economy, stupid."

The 2001 terrorist attacks and the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan changed the nature
of political debates, with war and national security becoming central to voters concerns.
But even as the wars continue today, soaring gasoline prices, the unprecedented rate of
home foreclosures, and overall bad news across the economic front has turned the debate
between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barak Obama back to the economy.

But science is more visible in this election than it has been in past ones. Part of the
reason is the related issues of global warming and the energy crisis. Those issues are
forcing the candidates to take stands on renewing and expanding nuclear power, spending
significant money on renewable energy, and funding the research that will be needed to
usher in a new era of cleaner energy.

This Physics Today site will track the candidates' positions and statements related to a
broad range of science issues. Analysis from Physics Today magazine, reports from the
political writers at the American Institute of Physics, and links to other relevant
material will also be included.

See:http://blogs.physicstoday.org/politics08/?type=PTFAVE

"Economic growth depends on technological innovation, which depends in
turn on scientific research. Because there is insufficient incentive
for private firms and individuals to support science, laissez faire
would produce too little of it, with the result that economic growth
would be stunted. Thus, government must take responsibility for
funding science."

The counter argument is provided by "The Economic Laws of Scientific
Research" by Terence Kealey, 1996.

http://www.aps.org/units/fps/newsletters/1997/october/roct97.html

"... wealthy industrialized countries (Western Europe, English-
speaking former British colonies, Japan) became wealthy before their
governments spent much on science, while poor countries (most notably
the USSR) that lavished funding on science did not thereby get rich."

The risk of turning scientific research over to government is that our
scientist become politicians. I wish it worked in reverse and our
politicians became scientist but alas, no; you end up with Al Gore.

I took a psych class in 1972. Almost half of the class believed
that man had learned everything that was possible to learn; thus,
it was a waste of money to send people to the moon.

These were adults who were going back to school to get a college
degree. You will find a lot of these kinds of non-thinkers
today. Just look at this newsgroup.

/BAH
.

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