Obama answers science questions

[Galapagos]

ScienceDebate2008 didn't happen, but something else exciting did. Obama has answered, and McCain has now agreed to answer, 14 important questions about science and America.

 

The Q&A can be found in full on the ScienceDebate2008 website:

 

Sciencedebate 2008-Barack Obama's answers to the top 14 science questions facing America

 

In November, 2007, a small group of six citizens - two screenwriters, a physicist, a marine biologist, a philosopher and a science journalist - began working to restore science and innovation to America’s political dialogue. They called themselves Science Debate 2008, and they called for a presidential debate on science. The call tapped a wellspring of concern over the state of American science.

 

Within weeks, more than 38,000 scientists, engineers, and other concerned Americans signed on, including nearly every major American science organization, dozens of Nobel laureates, elected officials and business leaders, and the presidents of over 100 major American universities. See who here. Among other things, these signers submitted over 3,400 questions they want the candidates for President to answer about science and the future of America.

 

Beginning with these 3,400 questions, Science Debate 2008 worked with the leading organizations listed to craft the top 14 questions the candidates should answer. These questions are broad enough to allow for wide variations in response, but they are specific enough to help guide the discussion toward many of the largest and most important unresolved challenges currently facing the United States.

 

 

edit-oops, screwed up the title. can a mod change it to "Barack Obama answers science questions" or something to that effect. thanks

[freeztar]

Moderator edit: Fixed title.

[ChunTzu]

If there can be something like the Saddleback Presidential Forum discussing religion/spirituality and politics, I for one, would love to see something similar for the Science Debate 2008 organizers. Its nice that there was at least some acknowledgment by the Obama campaign and reportedly from the McCain camp, though, I would prefer to see them speak in a forum-context to see what kind of awareness they have off the top of their heads. Maybe I'm just being a pessimist but something tells me the depth of answers given here, in a written submission, doesn't represent the types of answers that would be given in a televised, face-to-face environment.

 

The episode of Charlie Rose linked on the organization's home page has some nice issues discussed that make it worth watching IMO (specifically science in education, etc).