Hope this is not old news...
Last week while running about the world wild web I ran across this.
An Open Letter to the American People
This year's presidential election is among the most significant in our nation's history. The country
urgently needs a visionary leader who can ensure the future of our traditional strengths in science
and technology and who can harness those strengths to address many of our greatest problems:
energy, disease, climate change, security, and economic competitiveness.
We are convinced that Senator Barack Obama is such a leader, and we urge you to join us in
supporting him.
During the administration of George W. Bush, vital parts of our country's scientific enterprise
have been damaged by stagnant or declining federal support. The government's scientific
advisory process has been distorted by political considerations. As a result, our once dominant
position in the scientific world has been shaken and our prosperity has been placed at risk. We
have lost time critical for the development of new ways to provide energy, treat disease, reverse
climate change, strengthen our security, and improve our economy.
We have watched Senator Obama's approach to these issues with admiration. We especially
applaud his emphasis during the campaign on the power of science and technology to enhance
our nation's competitiveness. In particular, we support the measures he plans to take – through
new initiatives in education and training, expanded research funding, an unbiased process for
obtaining scientific advice, and an appropriate balance of basic and applied research – to meet
the nation's and the world's most urgent needs.
Senator Obama understands that Presidential leadership and federal investments in science and
technology are crucial elements in successful governance of the world's leading country. We
hope you will join us as we work together to ensure his election in November.
Signed,
Alexei Arikosov Physics 2003 Roger Guillemin Medicine 1977
Peter Agre Chemistry 2003 John L. Hall Physics 2005
Sidney Altman Chemistry 1989 Leland H. Hartwell Medicine 2001
Philip W. Anderson Physics 1977 Dudley Herschbach Chemistry 1986
Richard Axel Medicine 2004 Roald Hoffmann Chemistry 1981
David Baltimore Medicine 1975 H. Robert Horvitz Medicine 2002
Baruj Benacerraf Medicine 1980 Louis Ignarro Medicine 1998
Paul Berg Chemistry 1980 Eric R. Kandel Medicine 2000
J. Michael Bishop Medicine 1989 Walter Kohn Chemistry 1998
N. Bloembergen Physics 1981 Roger Kornberg Chemistry 2006
Michael S. Brown Medicine 1985 Leon M. Lederman Physics 1988
Linda B. Buck Medicine 2004 Craig C. Mello Medicine 2006
Mario R. Capecchi Medicine 2007 Yoichiro Nambu Physics 2008
Martin Chalfie Chemistry 2008 Marshall Nirenberg Medicine 1968
Stanley Cohen Medicine 1986 Douglas D. Osheroff Physics 1996
Leon Cooper Physics 1972 Stanley B. Prusiner Medicine 1997
James W. Cronin Physics 1980 Norman F. Ramsey Physics 1989
Robert F. Curl Chemistry 1996 Robert Richardson Physics 1996
Johann Diesenhofer Chemistry 1988 Burton Richter Physics 1976
John B. Fenn Chemistry 2002 Sherwood Rowland Chemistry 1995
Edmond H. Fischer Medicine 1992 Oliver Smithies Medicine 2007
Val Fitch Physics 1980 Richard R Schrock Chemistry 2005
Jerome I. Friedman Physics 1990 Joseph H. Taylor Jr. Physics 1993
Murray Gell-Man Physics 1969 E. Donnall Thomas Medicine 1990
Riccardo Giacconi Physics 2002 Charles H. Townes Physics 1964
Walter Gilbert Chemistry 1980 Roger Tsien Chemistry 2008
Alfred G. Gilman Medicine 1994 Daniel C.Tsui Physics 1998
Donald A. Glaser Physics 1960 Harold Varmus Medicine 1989
Sheldon L. Glashow Physics 1979 James D. Watson Medicine 1962
Joseph Goldstein Medicine 1985 Eric Wieschaus Medicine 1995
Paul Greengard Medicine 2000 Frank Wilczek Physics 2004
David Gross Physics 2004 Robert W. Wilson Physics 1978
Robert H. Grubbs Chemistry 2005
The views expressed in this letter represent those of the signers acting as individual citizens.
They do not necessarily represent the views of the institutions with which they are affiliated. The
Medicine award is for “Physiology or Medicine.”
PDF version here.
Here we have 65 Nobel Laureates stating their support for Obama, including Leon M. Lederman, the founding father of IMSA. So I ask you, does this prove anything? Should the opinions of these Nobel Prize winners carry any weight? Some people say that these are Laureates in the area of science not economics nor peace, thus it does not carry any political meaning... is this true? Are these scientists endorsing Obama because he will hand out more money to scientific research... Is this a bad thing or a good thing? What do you think???
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3 comments:
Until I see 65 nobel laureates endorsing mccain, it carries significant weight in my opinion. Nobel prize winners are figures representing progress and advancement of society, this act is giving weight onto Obama's image as one who'll make positive change.
yah i agree that it's beneficial to always push for the development of science. But the thing is, just because he will hand out money to science doesn't make him the better choice.
The nobel laureates are, in some sense, endorsing the plan because of self-interest. They get funding by Obama and not as much by McCain. So how do we decide if we should agree with the Nobel laureates? It's a matter of how you feel $1 spent on scientific funding compares with $1 spent on other things, such as roads or education.
that's true. a lot of times more money in the betterment of science simply goes into the pockets of the teachers and researchers. though idealistically that would be what we would want, but realistically that would just make fatter teachers and researchers. also, there are many projects that can be accopmlished with low budgets. money isn't necessarily always the driving force. even if the money is used to buy better equipment, it's not necessarily useful. this money could easily be used somewhere else with a greater return. for example, a normal white board costs well into the 5000 area, but this programmer put his mind to use and developed something astounding on a low budget:http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/johnny_lee_demos_wii_remote_hacks.html
like joey said, pouring money into science won't necessarily improve its progress in the US, and even though these nobel laureates may have self seeking motives, I really do appreciate Obama's vision for progress.
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