Exciting news out of my very own little North Carolina town..
Last week, Dr. Peter Agre announced he'll evaluate a run for the Senate in 2008 as a Democrat from Minnesota. (The seat is currently held by Republican Senator Norm Coleman).
Well everyone loves a Renaissance man and Dr. Agre has that 'IT' factor! He won me over by being outspoken on the need to improve science and math education and advance and strengthen science. After more than 25 years at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he became Vice Chancellor for Science and Technology and James B. Duke Professor of Cell Biology at the Duke University Medical Center. Memberships include the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Scientists and Engineers for America - of which he's a founding member and serves on the Board of Advisors. He even has a Nobel Prize in Chemistry to boot for his discovery of aquaporins.
Political appeal? Dr. Agre's a great speaker and explains things in a language we can all understand. Heck, he even looks the part. With a CV like that, just imagine what Senator Agre could do on Capitol Hill to bridge the science-policy divide..
I'm all for bringing the Third Culture to Congress! Check him out on the The Colbert Report and you'll see why I'm so enthusiastic.
posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
I wrote an article back in undergrad called "Scientists are from Mars, Politicians are from Venus." It's true! We need people like this Agre to bridge the interplanetary divide.
One thing that really annoys me is that politicians pretend that they and the general public can't deal with uncertainty. People deal with uncertainty all the time! Economists' predictions are uncertain, election outcomes are uncertain and weather forecasts are uncertain. I feel as though politicians just use the uncertainty excuse when they don't want to deal with environmental/scientific problems.
This would be great. He could work with my Congressman, Jerry McNerney, who has a Ph. D. in math.
But, I would have to say that politicians, like Sen. James Inhofe and Rep. Dana Rohrabaher use the uncertainty excuse because the heard it from Rush Limbaugh and thought it made sense.
The entire "sound science" argument was invented by the tobacco industry and used with focused purpose to defeat and and all environmental regulations.
I expect a bloody primary between Dr. Agre and Al Franken.
Oh the humanity!
Dr. Agre's positively awful appearance on the Colbert Report suggests he needs serious political speaking coaching and experience. It was funny, but he wasn't in on the joke. Not an It-Getter.