Politics and Science
cmooney | April 2, 2008Not that you weren't already--but if you want to be really, really outraged about the nefarious techniques used to undermine accepted scientific knowledge, you need to go get a book entitled Doubt is Their Product, by David Michaels. I just reviewed it for The American Prospect. By the end of the book--no, by the middle--you will be just sickened (just like so many people have been by dangerous chemicals and products defended by dubious science).
Here is part of what I say in my Prospect review:
Even most of us who have gone swimming in the litigation-generated stew of tobacco documents (you…
cmooney | March 19, 2008My latest piece for Science Progress--where I am now a contributing editor--has just gone up. It's entitled "Enablers," and it's how people like us, who care about science, are often guilty of actually empowering those who who are attacking it.
A great example occurred recently with the Heartland Institute's climate skeptic conference in New York. Climate skepticism is totally passe--this event should have been completely ignored. Instead, many of my intellectual allies were screaming their heads off denouncing it, and thereby drawing greater attention to it.
In the piece I give other…
sheril | March 17, 2008Our partner on the ScienceDebate2008 steering committee, Alan Leshner, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Executive Publisher of Science magazine contributed this Op-Ed piece to today's Philadelphia Inquirer:
A successful president thus needs to be science-minded. Voters deserve candidates who can answer core science-related questions crucial to our future. Here's the start of a presidential questionnaire.
National Security: The U.S. government has spent billions of dollars on advanced missile-defense systems and now plans to update our nuclear weapons and…
cmooney | March 16, 2008...to attend ScienceDebate2008. Watch here to see why:
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For more info from our latest press conference, see here.
cmooney | March 14, 2008We held an event at the Franklin Institute today to call attention to the debate and its local support. Sheril and I weren't on hand, but our peeps were. See here for photos, streaming video, podcast, etc. More links when we have them.
Meanwhile, below is an image of one of our fearless leaders, Matthew Chapman, speaking in front of Ben:
sheril | March 13, 2008Written Testimony of
William H. Gates
Chairman, Microsoft Corporation
Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:
I believe this country stands at a crossroads. For decades, innovation has been the engine of prosperity in this country. Now, economic progress depends more than ever on innovation. And the potential for technology innovation to improve lives has never been greater.
These four policy prescriptions - strengthening educational opportunities, revamping immigration rules for highly skilled workers, increasing federal funding for basic scientific research, and providing incentives…
cmooney | March 10, 2008Philadelphia's Franklin Institute has just released a joint press release with ScienceDebate2008 (PDF) that serves as a kind of reminder that this thing is still on--and we're hoping the candidates will appear. It is in a critical state just before its primary, and many leading science voices in Pennsylvania are signing on. To wit:
So far in Pennsylvania, Science Debate 2008 has growing support from some major players. Drexel University, Carnegie Mellon University, Temple University, Lehigh University, Lafayette College, the Chemical Heritage Foundation, The Fox Chase Cancer Center, and the…
cmooney | March 5, 2008This isn't a subject I blog much about any more...after all, the "war on science" argument that I helped originate has now been made in such an ad nauseum way that it has become more or less conventional wisdom.
However, it's still worth noting when a great new piece of evidence emerges showing just how bad the administration has been when it comes to science.
In this case, that evidence comes from the Environmental Protection Agency. Not surprisingly, the EPA's staff unions are withdrawing from their cooperation agreement with the agency's political leadership. And what is their cited…
sheril | March 5, 2008It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
And here at The Intersection, we continue to watch, engage, and blog...
It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done.
Thanks to our readers for joining us as the epic of 2008 unfolds...
sheril | March 4, 2008Lawrence Krauss
Director, Center for Education and Research in Cosmology and Astrophysics and Ambrose Swasey Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University
Watch more video statements here
sheril | March 4, 2008
About the same time I was debating which computer was the best choice, I noticed the NYTimes had an interesting take on a similar question. Well sort of. My post at Correlations is now up considering the presidential candidates' websites: Is Obama a Mac and Clinton a PC?
PC is predicted to 'win the Electoral College by historic proportions with Mac perhaps carrying Vermont'. Well, these kind of loose comparisons are fun, and I suppose like a Sara Bareilles love song, you find meaning where you choose.
As for me, while I may be enamored with my Air, politics take a lot more depth and…
sheril | February 29, 2008Lots of readers have been writing, asking us for video from the AAAS science debate...
Now from New Scientist: Clinton vs Obama: who would be best for science?
sheril | February 29, 2008At yesterday's Ocean Leadership Policy Forum in DC, I had the opportunity to ask Senator Landrieu, (D-La)"What can the ocean community do to prioritize funding for programs like Sea Grant and support for basic research?"
Her response was interesting and articulate, and although she never actually answered my question, Landrieu demonstrated leadership on--and a real commitment to--oceans and the environment. She discussed the significance of funding for basic research and new technology, [ScienceDebate2008 anyone?] and explained our next administration will be much more promising than the…
sheril | February 28, 2008Rita Colwell
Former Director, National Science Foundation 1998-2004; Distinguished Professor, University Of Maryland/Johns Hopkins University School Of Public Health; National Medal of Science, 2006
Watch more video statements here
sheril | February 27, 2008Neal Lane
Former Science Adviser to President Clinton as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Malcolm Gillis University Professor, Senior Fellow, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University
Watch more video statements here
cmooney | February 26, 2008Over at Shifting Baselines, Randy Olson just posted an interview with Matthew Chapman, the original guy behind the curtain of Science Debate 2008. Sheril and I have taken to calling Matthew our "fearless leader," but "fearless, selfless, deeply inspirational leader without whom this wouldn't have been possible" is better, I think.
Here's a quote from the interview, in which Matthew talks about how it all began:
I spoke about the debate idea to a few people who were more or less entirely cynical. I then spoke to Chris Mooney. Chris was interested, and brought his Intersection co-blogger,…
sheril | February 26, 2008Keeping November in perspective, the upcoming election isn't about gender, race, or Nader... it's about our collective future. And the Call for a presidential debate on science and technology doesn't just come from our luminaries, it's been taken up by students, businesspeople, doctors, teachers, and concerned citizens everywhere--including us!
Sheril Kirshenbam
Resident Blogger, Marine Biologist, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University; Member of ScienceDebate2008 steering committee
Watch more video statements here
sheril | February 25, 2008Steven Chu
Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Professor of Physics and Molecular and Cellular Biology at U.C. Berkeley, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1997
Watch more video statements here
sheril | February 24, 2008So. Ralph Nader's running for president... again.
Sure, it wouldn't quite feel like a proper election without him--Nader's been on the ticket ever since I was old enough to participate. But the thing is, he generally appeals to young voters seeking change and this time around, Clinton and Obama fill that already crowded niche. Yes he brings another voice to the campaign trail, but really--in terms of a run for the presidency--seems to me that ship has sailed.
From CNN:
Nader also wrote off any suggestions that his entry into the race could draw enough votes from the Democratic candidate…
sheril | February 22, 2008
Lawrence introduces me to Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, a wonderful role model for everyone, but particularly women in science.
Down time with some members of the ScienceDebate2008 Steering Committee.
From left: Austin, Matthew, Sheril Shawn, Lawrence [Chris present by phone!]
Watching the reps discuss science and policy in the next administration.
Filming video endorsements of ScienceDebate2008.
More images from the weekend here.