The Rightful Place Project
sb admin | January 23, 2009Obama also talked in the address (and in previous speeches) about the need for an overhaul of our energy policies, transportation systems, and national infrastructure. To my mind, acheiving those goals requires that science be allowed to move to the forefront. We need good engineers and scientists working on solving our environmental and energy problems so we can get this whole mess turned around. If science is not respected, there will be no more cutting edge breakthrough in America; that work will be done elsewhere.
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sb admin | January 23, 2009In a time of economic crisis (or really any crisis), it is difficult to think too far into the future. Still, if America is to be a significant force in the scientific world of the future, we need to invest in our primary education system now, putting a particular emphasis on basic science education. We have to remember that science is a process -- often a long process -- and if we do not dedicate ourselves today to teaching our children how to think critically, rationally, pragmatically, then we will short ourselves our future scientific manpower. Putting money into research programs now is…
sb admin | January 23, 2009In addition to what others have said here, I would like to point out that science education is an essential part of science's rightful place. If a respect for and understanding of science and its methods is not communicated to students throughout their educations, then as citizens, they cannot be fully informed in their decisions. As such, the democracy as a whole will suffer for the loss of a valuable set of perspectives and methods.
Likewise, if students are not exposed to scientific thinking from the earliest ages, then they will not be as aware of the careers within scientific fields. As…
sb admin | January 23, 2009In President Obama's inaugural speech, he announced his intention to "restore science to its rightful place." In response to Seed Magazine has initiated to The Rightful Place Project whose goal is to recruit scientists and engineers to answer the question: What is science's rightful place? Available on their website is a form where you can enter your responses to this important question.
Here is mine:
Science is a process for distinguish fact from non-fact. I emphasize the word process for just as we live in a nation of laws, not men, science is more than scientists: it is an…
sb admin | January 23, 2009"Citizen science" should be a part of science's "rightful place" in society:
http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/guest-column-a-new-kind-of-b…
"There is another way to extend our scientific reach, and I believe it can also restore some of what is lost in the process of centralization. It has been called Citizen Science, and it involves the enlistment of large numbers of relatively untrained individuals in the collection of scientific data.
"Perhaps the new administration, which has already proven itself so skilled in using the Internet to coordinate broad networks of volunteers, ought…
sb admin | January 23, 2009More funding for scientific research (which also supports the next generation of scientists through graduate and undergraduate research assistants). More science scholarships. More women-friendly funding policies (maternity leave, daycare support, etc.).
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sb admin | January 23, 2009Science and applied science (engineering) serves as the primary engine of change and improvement in the human condition, at its best expression; and as the progenitor of man's self-destruction at its worst expression throughout human history. It seems that at the intersection of science and government, it has always been the latter that is predominant, as reflected in the subsidy of the DARPAs of the world relative to the funding of the National Science Foundation.
I believe science should be a cornerstone in the government's foundation; however, as much emphasis and resource as is placed on…
sb admin | January 23, 2009I am sure many people will disagree about specific aspects of science that should or should not be supported, but I hope that we can all agree that aside from a need for applications of science to solving immediate problems such as global warming and energy problems, I think that the best sign of this administration is that they appear to have the intention of maintaining a place for science in informing decisions in a rational way, unbiased by personal religion and optimized for the better good. Though I do not think that during such an economic crisis we should spend more money on science…
sb admin | January 23, 2009"In Science we Trust"
Science and fact should be what we are taught to respect. We need to transform our education system from "Read/Recite, because God is really the one with the plan" to "Question everything and accept nothing that isn't proven". My biggest hope for Obama and his 8 years is for American's to finally start to think critically about everything around them. Always ask, why and NEVER limit our ideas or reasoning because of preconceived notions or forced cultural beliefs. Science will truly set us free. It needs to be the TOP priority for Obama's administration.
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sb admin | January 23, 2009The rightful place of science should be an important pillar of our democracy. For that reason, it shouldn't as inaccesible and elitist as it is now - it should captivate the hearts and minds of our populace. Yes, I am saying that the politics must change, but so too must science education and the scientists themselves. We must be willing to show some humility and humanity as scientists. Too often science is mistrusted as cold and unethical - and this is largely due to education, but also our inabilities to open ourselves to all people and to their ideas too. There needs to be a dialogue -…
sb admin | January 23, 2009Science is the fulfillment of the spirit of inquiry, a natural curiosity, about the world around us that leads us to question, to understand, and to invent. The liberty of this pursuit should be right up there in the bill of rights with the freedom of speech and religion not bottled up by irrational ideologies that close our minds.
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sb admin | January 23, 2009Let's follow dearly beloved Crichton as stated in the author's note of "Next": 1. Stop patenting genes. 2. Establish clear guidelines for the use of human tissues. 3. Pass laws to ensure that data about gene testing is made public. 4. Avoid bans on research. 5. Rescind the Bayh-Dole Act.
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sb admin | January 23, 2009Findings should be presented truthfully and fairly, their outcome being as independent from politics as possible. From those unbiased findings, we should make sound policy decisions. Misrepresenting science does a major disservice to everyone, and we shouldn't stand for it.
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sb admin | January 23, 2009I think Science's rightful place in government is a transparent tool for making decisions and facilitating meaningful discussions - too many government decisions are made based on politics and power plays and not logic and knowledge.
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sb admin | January 23, 2009I think that science's place should be to create a better world by helping people live better, especially those whose lives are stressed by the basics of lack of food and clean water and the necessities of maintaining their health. Wouldn't it be great if someone could "make" water by someway combining the atoms of Hydrogen and Oxygen?
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sb admin | January 23, 2009First that comes to mind is, I think NASA needs to get its ass in gear, it needs to get its priorities (and consequently, funding,) straightened out.
Science, being as universal as, well, the UNIVERSE, should also be a universal opportunity in society. I say start bridging that socioeconomic gap, with some of those programs to improve basic primary/secondary education in STEM fields.
And definitely stop banning research, period.
Work to make environmental efforts an apolitical issue (assuming ANY issue can be apolitical..)
Use science to help improve all that "Third World" shit—if Western…
sb admin | January 23, 2009Went to listen to Adam Bly speak about the science and culture at OCAD in Toronto a couple of months ago and one of the big take aways was the idea that we should use science as lens through which we view all subjects versus science as a subject itself. in this context we change our approach to understanding and creating new things.
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sb admin | January 23, 2009I want to add one caveat to the stem cell debate. There is so much potential for the stem cell research that could potentially change people lives forever. I however throw caution to the wind by citing the sayings of those who build and/or advanced the technology for the nuclear bomb. these people justified their actions as advancement of science and that they were not responsible for how their findings were used. The people that developed this technology now know that that was a cop-out and they regret advancing the science that killed hundres of thousands of people. here is how i draw the…
sb admin | January 23, 2009I think the first thing Obama needs to do for science is over turn Bush's anti stem cell research and fund the research for diseases that can and will help all Americans and the World live a better and more healthy life.
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sb admin | January 23, 2009"Inspiring our youth to get a sense of what discovery is all about"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn0BKDYiYmI
Obama sees science as a tool for igniting curiousity and uplifting the whole of our country. Something that science has done for myself.
I am thankful to have a President so committed to learning, even having lectures at the White House.
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