In the face of recent comments by lawmakers and others in
the public eye suggesting that accepting scientific evidence is akin to the
decision to believe in a particular religion or political dogma, NPR
commentator Adam Frank has suggested a clarifying solution.
Congress, he said in a Cosmos & Culture post on 11 December, should consider making a pledge to science -- not to wholesale
acceptance of all published research, but simply to “uphold the integrity of basic
scientific research and take no actions to undermine the broadest public
education in empirically verifiable scientific truths."
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Volunteers from SPIE are among hundreds
of scientists and engineers who visit Congressional offices every year to stress the contributions of STEM research to society and the economy. |
His underlying point that science and technology are “the engines of our
economic competitiveness” echoes the words of leaders of 120 science,
engineering, and STEM education organizations in a letter last week to Congress
and President Obama urging them to avoid the “fiscal cliff” deadline. If
policymakers are unable to work out a solution by the end of the year, blunt
budget cuts will accelerate a trend toward decline in U.S. research and R&D
funding.
The problem with that is that technology R&D is a major force in
building the economy and creating new, highly skilled jobs. And besides spawning the Global Positioning System, the laser,
and the Internet, technology has enabled countless medical advances that have
helped save the lives of millions of heart disease, cancer and diabetes
patients, among others. Almost every national priority -- from health and
defense, to agriculture and conservation -- relies on science and engineering.
In short, cutting the funding cuts the flow of progress.
As SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs noted, while financial problems are in a dire
state, “It would be utterly foolish to damage
the best hope for economic health: our science and technology capability."
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Adam Frank puts it this way: “Standing up for science should be a
no-brainer for us. We are a nation that has shown, many times, how much we
value the endless possibilities flowing from the pursuit of knowledge, not the
least of which include a lasting peace and a generous prosperity for everyone.”
“Standing up for science” doesn’t require a formal pledge
on the part of policymakers, although it is an intriguing idea. But basic respect
for responsible science and technology is crucial. With that respect comes
support for many vital needs. For example:
- Improving healthcare capabilities, such as detecting cancer earlier and increasing the odds of patient survival
- Retaining the most highly skilled workforce rather than sending graduates out of the country as soon as they complete their degrees
- Creating new highly skilled jobs in manufacturing and engineering
- Developing energy production that will meet the needs of the future without creating new damage to the environment, or exacerbating existing pollution and global warming
- Ensuring safe communities
- Improving storm- and flood-monitoring capabilities
- Bringing new-generation lighting systems and communications networks to developing areas, improving health and educational prospects
- Ensuring food safety and adequate clean water around the world.
That's all worth standing up for.
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