Is America Losing its Competitive Edge? A Presidential Debate
on Science and America’s Future
"Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific innovation plays in spurring economic growth and competitiveness, we call for a public debate in which the U.S. presidential candidates share their views on the issues of The Environment, Health and Medicine, and Science and Technology Policy."
Science Debate 2008 on Charlie Rose
"For the last 60 years, science and engineering have been responsible for half the growth in the U.S. economy. But some reports suggest that by 2010 90% of all scientists and engineers will live in Asia. Asian countries are now graduating 10 times the number of scientists and engineers the U.S. is. Do the candidates have a plan to keep the American economy strong and to tackle America's major challenges like climate change, energy security, education and healthcare - all of which revolve around science? Who really deserves your vote?"
Why Clinton, McCain & Obama have a moral obligation to debate these issues
More information on the Franklin Institute "We Built It" event
Young people: download "It's your life" poster here
"This is not a niche debate, the future economic success of the United States depends on out-performing the competition with smart people and smart ideas. Without the best education system and aggressive investments in basic research and development we will become a second rate economic power. We hope the candidates for president take this very seriously."
We make the call on NPR's Talk of the Nation: Science Friday
The debate and why it's important on Earth & Sky radio
Sheril Kirshenbaum on the debate on The Inoculated Mind
See what some of our signers have to say about why this matters
Leaders & Nobelists: why this matters
"Imagine if the candidates had said at the start of the debate season: 'We will have debates, but we will not discuss in any detail our policies toward pollution of air and water, climate change, renewable energy research, global diseases and pandemics, bioethical issues such as stem cell research, how to use scientific innovation to stimulate economic growth, how to improve science education, and how to regain scientific integrity in government.' Had they said this, there would have been a public outcry - and yet this is what has happened. In no debate so far have any of these vital issues been discussed in depth. None. We believe the voters have a right to hear these issues discussed, and the candidates have a responsibility to discuss them."
The Grand Challenges for Engineering
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Click for the AAAS site on what is known of the candidates' positions so far:
CLICK TO SUPPORT SCIENCE DEBATE 2008
05/08/2008 Cleveland Plain Dealer: Science Debate 2008 Web site urges candidates to talk about issues
05/04/2008 Moravian College President Christopher Thomforde joins
04/30/2008 La Salle's Michael McGinniss becomes 100th college or university president to sign on
04/30/2008 SCIENCE: Has U.S. Science Lost is Competitive Edge?
04/28/2008 Univ. of Massachusetts joins
04/25/2008 Nobelist Craig Mello signs on
04/25/2008 SCIENCE: Science Policy
04/24/2008 Whitman Pioneer: Presidential Debates' 'lip service'
04/24/2008 Montana State University joins
04/24/2008 MSNBC: Political Science Test
04/24/2008 Daily Pennsylvanian: Saving America's Science
04/23/2008 SEforA: Hundreds of EPA scientists experienced political interference
04/22/2008 Nobelist Ahmed Zewail joins
04/21/2008 Yale Daily News: Fluff dominates media; endangers democracy
04/21/2008 C&EN: Debate Science Please
04/19/2008 Barrett, Roberts, Nobel Laureates urge campaigns
04/18/2008 New York Times: Who Lost The Debate? Moderators, Many Say
04/17/2008 The New Republic: Blinding Them With Science
04/17/2008 Wall Street Journal: We Need a Science White House
04/17/2008 TIME: The Debate That Didn't Happen
04/15/2008 PhysicsWorld: US renews call for science debate
04/15/2008 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology joins
04/15/2008 EarthSky: Shawn Otto on science in an election year
04/14/2008 AP: Pioneering Physicist John Wheeler Dies at 96
04/14/2008 Kansas City Star: Science Debate 2008
04/12/2008 EarthSky: Will U.S. presidential candidates debate science policy?
04/11/2008 Colorado State: CSU joins call for Science Debate 2008
04/11/2008 Scientific American: A Presidential Science Debate
04/11/2008 SCIENCE: Science and the Candidates
04/11/2008 Philadelphia Inquirer: Science education, research need a boost from the U.S.
04/10/2008 ABC News: Clinton and Obama Talk Religion, Not Science
04/10/2008 Huffington Post: Science Debate 2008, Take Two
04/09/2008 Wichita Eagle: Candidates will talk about faith - but not science?
04/09/2008 Research!America: What Are They Afraid Of?
04/09/2008 Ars Technica: Science Debate 2008 switches focus to Oregon
04/08/2008 Science Progress: Science and Faith Sould Not Collide in Pennsylvania
04/08/2008 New York Times: No Democratic Science Debate, Yet
04/08/2008 Seattle Post Intelligencer: Prez hopefuls to debate faith -- but not science
04/08/2008 Wired: Clinton and Obama Talk Religion, Not Science
04/08/2008 The New Republic: Why the Silence on Science?
04/07/2008 EarthSky: Leading science broadcasters discuss 'Science in the U.S. election year'
04/07/2008 The Endocrine Society joins
04/03/2008 MSNBC: Plan B for Science Debate
04/02/2008 Association of American Medical Colleges joins
04/01/2008 Science Museum of Minnesota joins
03/29/2008 Presidents of The Wistar Institute, Saint Joseph's University, and 1st Source Bank join
03/28/2008 Museum of Science Boston joins
03/27/2008 Wesleyan University signs on
03/26/2008 Presidential Climate Action Project joins
03/25/2008 Wesleyan Pres. Michael Roth & Arts Patron Martha McGeary Snider join
03/24/2008 Congressman Bill Foster joins
03/19/2008 St Francis, Widener & Tri-State Universities & Renewable Natural Resources Foundation join
03/19/2008 American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Landscape Architects & National Association Of Graduate-Professional Students join
03/18/2008 Penn State President Graham Spanier joins
03/17/2008 Philadelphia Inquirer: Among science-debate questions put to candidates
03/14/2008 Science Debate 2008: Candidates have a moral obligation
03/14/2008 Reuters: China overtakes U.S. as top Web market
03/14/2008 Presidents of University of the Sciences in Philadelphia & University City Science Center join
03/14/2008 Presidents of Allegheny, Dickinson, Haverford, Muhlenberg and Swarthmore Colleges sign on
03/13/2008 Nobel laureate Andrew Fire signs on, as does Smith College and the Association for Women in Mathematics
03/12/2008 Bill Gates to Congress: "This country stands at a crossroads"
03/10/2008 BusinessWire: Franklin Institute to host high-tech presidential debate
03/10/2008 Drexel University & its President Constantine Papadakis join
03/08/2008 New York Times: Mixed economic picture in next big state to vote
03/08/2008 University of Cincinnati & its President Nancy Zimpher sign on
03/07/2008 NOW on PBS joins the call
03/07/2008 Tufts University signs on
03/06/2008 President of Energistics and VP of Jackson & Tull Aerospace join
03/06/2008 Presidents of Rutgers & Northeastern Universities join
03/05/2008 National Emergency Preparedness Coordinating Council joins
03/05/2008 Chemical Heritage Foundation and Brain Trauma Foundation join
03/04/2008 Technology Student Assn joins
03/02/2008 Kenyon College & its President Georgia Nugent join
03/01/2008 Presidents of Dartmouth & SUNY-Oswego join
02/27/2008 Northwestern University, The New School, Sarah Lawrence, & American University join
02/26/2008 Presidents of Northwestern, Sarah Lawrence, & Rider join
02/25/2008 NOVA TV series joins
02/24/2008 New School President, former presidential candidate Bob Kerrey joins
02/24/2008 Presidents of Barnard College, and Universities of New Hampshire, Salisbury, American & Maryland Eastern Shore join
02/22/2008 NewsDay: Candidates urged to debate scientific issues
02/22/2008 Nature Immunology: Politicizing Science No More
02/21/2008 American Museum of Natural History joins, as does Odyssey Investment Partners Chair Stephen Berger
02/20/2008 Research!America joins
02/20/2008 M.I.T. President Susan Hockfield joins, as does American Museum Of Natural History President Ellen Futter
02/20/2008 Presidents of the Universities of Iowa, Oklahoma, Coppin State, and Lehigh join
02/19/2008 Texas Instruments President & CEO Richard Templeton signs on
02/19/2008 American Dental Assn & IEEE-USA join
02/18/2008 Former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta joins