Restoring Science to Its Rightful Place February 10th, 2009
by Kim Novick, Guest Author
“We will restore science to its rightful place.” – Barack Obama, January 20th 2009
Modern inaugural addresses haven’t been kind to science. In the 80 years preceding Obama’s inauguration, only Richard Nixon has spoken kindly of the discipline. FDR called science a “ruthless master of mankind.” Eisenhower spoke of its “final gift…the power to erase human life from this planet,” and Kennedy its “dark powers of destruction.” These are pretty harsh words for the branch of knowledge that brought us the combustion engine, penicillin, and a fair chunk of American economic development since WWII. Obama’s praise for science and technology in his inaugural address drew much applause on the Mall, making it clear that a renewed focus on and appreciation for American scientific enterprise isn’t just music to scientists’ ears. Read the rest of this entry »
