Science Progress Supports Science Debate 2008
Let's Talk About It
SOURCE: SP
Policy decisions on the issues of greatest concern to voters–national security, the economy, health care, and energy and the environment–should rest upon a foundation of sound scientific advice.
To: Science Debate 2008 Steering Committee
From: Science Progress Advisory Board and Editors
The undersigned members of the Science Progress advisory board and editorial staff express their support for the Science Debate 2008 initiative and encourage the presidential candidates of both major political parties to devote one nationally televised debate specifically to issues related to science, technology, and innovation.
The next president must be able to make clear and effective decisions about science and technology policy, and must be able to synthesize advice from advisers who can make recommendations without fear of political interference. Policy decisions on the issues of greatest concern to voters–national security, the economy, health care, and energy and the environment–should rest upon a foundation of sound scientific advice. Candidates must be able to clearly articulate how they will harness that counsel to lead the United States toward a clean energy transformation, care for the health of the country’s citizens, and cultivate a diverse and dynamic low-carbon economy that capitalizes on American creativity and entrepreneurship.
The objective of Science Progress is to improve the understanding of science among policymakers in order to develop exciting, progressive ideas about innovation in science and technology for the United States in the 21st century. We believe that the Science Debate 2008 initiative shares the same ethos that is behind our mission statement:
Science Progress proceeds from the propositions that scientific inquiry is among the finest expressions of human excellence, that it is a crucial source of human flourishing, a critical engine of economic growth, and must be dedicated to the common good. Scientific inquiry entails global responsibilities. It should lead to a more equitable, safer, and healthier future for all of humankind.
Current Advisory Board Signatories
Martha Farah, PhD, Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Natural Sciences; Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
Steve Fetter, PhD, Dean, School of Public Policy University of Maryland – College Park
John Gearhart, PhD, Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Physiology, Comparative Medicine, and Population Dynamics; Director of Stem Cell Biology, McKusic-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
John H. Gibbons, PhD Science Advisor to President Clinton; President, Resource Strategies
Barry Glassner, PhD, Executive Vice Provost, University of Southern California
Kathryn Hinsch, Founding Director and Board President, Women’s Bioethics Project
Neal Lane, PhD Malcolm Gillis University Professor; Senior Fellow, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy Rice University
Zack Lynch, MA, Executive Director, Neurotechnology Industry Organization
Tara O’Toole, MD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Center for Biosecurity, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Scott Page, PhD, External Faculty, Santa Fe Institute; Professor of Complex Systems, Political Science, and Economics University of Michigan
Jonathan Tucker, PhD, Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies
Paul R. Wolpe, PhD, Senior Fellow, Center for Bioethics; Professor, Departments of Psychiatry, Medical Ethics, and Sociology, University of Pennsylvania
Laurie Zoloth, PhD, Director, Bioethics, Center for Genetic Medicine Professor of Medical Ethics and Humanities Professor of Religion, Northwestern University
Richard O. Lempert, JD, PhD, Eric Stein Distinguished University Professor of Law and Sociology, University of Michigan Law School, NSF, AAAS, NRC
Dawn Bonnell, PhD, Trustee Professor of Material Sciences; Director, Nano/Bio Interface Center University of Pennsylvania
John S. Irons, PhD, Research and Policy Director, Economic Policy Institute
Susan Solomon, JD, CEO, New York Stem Cell Foundation
Editorial Staff
Jonathan Moreno, Editor-In-Chief
Kit Batten, PhD, Editorial Advisor
Ed Paisley, Editorial Director
Andrew Plemmons Pratt, Assistant Editor
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