EXTRA
CREDIT: Science Debate 2008
Science and technology are increasingly important in our society today. Yet many people feel overwhelmed and
intimidated by scientific issues. The
result is that many politicians can either ignore or distort science with
little political risk. This is unhealthy
and dangerous for our nation.
Fortunately, in this
presidential election, we have two candidates who care about issues of science
and technology. Both Obama
and McCain have thought hard about scientific issues, and have educated themselves
fairly well about scientific issues.
Recently, both candidates
stated their policies and priorities regarding the “14 top science questions
facing
You can earn extra
credit for comparing and contrasting the two candidate's positions on the
14 questions of science and technology.
What are their similarities? What
are their differences? To what degree
does each candidate use scientific evidence to support his proposals? What aspects of their positions impressed you
the most? The least?
Keith Meldahl
Professor of Geology & Oceanography