16th September 2008
In November, 2007, a small group of six citizens - two screenwriters, a physicist, a marine biologist, a philosopher and a science journalist - began working to restore science and innovation to America’s political dialogue. They called themselves Science Debate 2008, and they called for a presidential debate on science. The call tapped a wellspring of concern over the state of American science.
Of particular interest to me was the first question on innovation. Obama cites facts, both about our success and our challenges:
the U.S. annually imports $53 billion more in advanced technology products than we export. China is now the world’s number one high technology exporter. This competitive situation may only worsen over time because the number of U.S. students pursuing technical careers is declining.
He proceeds to outline how he will foster a society that encourages scientific exploration and values the sciences:
As president, I will launch a Service Scholarship program that pays undergraduate or graduate teaching education costs for those who commit to teaching in a high-need school, and I will prioritize math and science teachers.
He clearly understands that we are quickly being outstripped by other nations in the realm of technological innovation and invention. He also seems to understand that there is no quick fix for this problem, we are going to have to live with where we stand for quite some time and that a solid foundation of science and technology is the place to attack the problem, ensuring future generations can compete globally.
McCain, on the other hand, speaks in generalities and offers no solutions:
Nurturing technology and innovation is essential for solving the critical problems facing our country: developing alternative fuels, addressing climate change, encouraging commercialization of new technologies, deploying technology to manage cost and enable new jobs, stopping the spiraling expense of health care, and better educating our children and our workforce.
And my favorite part of his answer:
I am uniquely qualified to lead our nation during this technological revolution. While in the Navy, I depended upon the technologies and information provided by our nation’s scientists and engineers with during each mission.
Yes, you playing with military technology 40 years ago clearly qualifies you to lead us back to the forefront of innovation.
