Innovation 2008: Renewing America Through Smarter Science & Technology Policy
My mother is an 8th grade science teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools district. Everyday she runs labs that help the kids connect to science. Whether it is running nutrition experiments with singing cockroaches, building weather system in soda bottles, or looking at the physics and chemistry of bubbles, these activities help the students answer the question "how does science affect me?" I would suggest perhaps that somewhere between 8th grade science and American political life, that connection gets down played, for the example the closure of the Office of Technology Assessment.
But science is the base of every major political issue that our country is currently grappling with. Take global warming, alternative energy, transportation and air travel, economic viability in a carbon constrained world, green jobs, missile defense – any defense, a highly trained workforce, communication networks, embryonic stem cell research, other medial research – most research, NASA, emerging technologies – nanotechnologies, agriculture and resource preservation, just to name a few.
So don’t you think it is time to have a comprehensive conversation on American (science) policy? Well we do, and if you agree save the date, and join us on October 20 and 21st for a discussion on a variety of issues that will be important to the next administration. This non-partisan discussion will focus on the transition to the next president.
Check out our website for additional details. We hope to see you there!
This event is in partnership with Science Debate 2008
